Page 13 - Selling Fantasies
P. 13
itical Economy Factors
To escape is to gain freedom. Pandemics, a global economic depression, the extinction or at
least diminishment of civilization in the midst of climate change, and agricultural collapse —
anyone looking for a reason to escape shouldn't really look far. These threats, by definition,
cannot be avoided: they are global, multifaceted, and interconnected. Humanity is confronted
with difficulties much beyond the capacity of any individual, but it retains a fundamental
longing for freedom. In these circumstances, modern escapism is the urge to escape situations
that do not allow for meaningful change (Sharzer, 2021). The supply and demand economics
resulted not only in a dysfunctional economic system, but also in unhealthy individuals and
lifestyles. In the face of a political and economic crisis, and in the absence of democratic
alternatives, escapism is a natural coping mechanism for a segment of the working class and
even the bourgeois. According to (Dodman, 2018) emerging social, economic, and political
realities encourage escapism. As (Cain, 2018) eloquently illustrates via the prism of increasing
survival demands:
you work long hours, the trains don’t run on time and you had to live further out to afford a flat, or a
room, so you spend even longer trying to get home, then you don’t feel like cooking, you row with
partners or children or housemates because you are tired and fed up. All the places to meet others are
places to eat or drink, and that costs. Easier just to shut the door and watch Netflix in the few free
hours you have … This is where the responsibility doctrine kicks in: you should be out there, running
marathons, taking 6 am yoga classes. You’re not looking after number one. You are isolating yourself.
Societal and cultural Factors
Culture is defined as the beliefs, behaviours, habits, attitudes, and other characteristics shared
by members of a certain group or society. Sociologists define society as a group of individuals
who interact in such a manner that they share a common culture (Cliffs Note, 2015). As a result,
society has its own set of shared culture, rules, and conventions. This system imposes social
norms on society, and people are "expected" to conform to the norms of specific social groups
when they want to feel like they belong to that group. Some who failed to adhere to those norms,
perhaps due to their inability or unwillingness to conform, or those who rebelled against them
may end up as outcasts or may face social isolation. This state of stress and poverty, forced on
by the political economic situation, is now furthered by social isolation. As a consequence,
social isolation will naturally lead to a lack of social contacts, resulting in the distressing feeling
of being alone or disconnected. In other words, Loneliness. Under these conditions, the most
potent mechanism to cope with neoliberal individual identity and its isolation is escapism. And
Fiction is one of the best ways to do this. A fictitious universe that provides people with a
complete setting, characters, stories, and allows their imaginations to run wild. To put it another
way, an ideal version of the world in which some lonely individuals may find comfort and
enjoy "relationships" and interactions with a set of elements and characters while living out
their wildest fantasies.
2. Media, Information and Content in Today’s modern society
It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with all that is being released in practically all
forms of media. On the one hand, we are constantly bombarded with information via social
media, advertisements, work or education, daily life, and so on. And even when we finally get
home after a long day and turn on the tv, laptop, smartphone, or any other gadget to rewind and
12 | P a g e
To escape is to gain freedom. Pandemics, a global economic depression, the extinction or at
least diminishment of civilization in the midst of climate change, and agricultural collapse —
anyone looking for a reason to escape shouldn't really look far. These threats, by definition,
cannot be avoided: they are global, multifaceted, and interconnected. Humanity is confronted
with difficulties much beyond the capacity of any individual, but it retains a fundamental
longing for freedom. In these circumstances, modern escapism is the urge to escape situations
that do not allow for meaningful change (Sharzer, 2021). The supply and demand economics
resulted not only in a dysfunctional economic system, but also in unhealthy individuals and
lifestyles. In the face of a political and economic crisis, and in the absence of democratic
alternatives, escapism is a natural coping mechanism for a segment of the working class and
even the bourgeois. According to (Dodman, 2018) emerging social, economic, and political
realities encourage escapism. As (Cain, 2018) eloquently illustrates via the prism of increasing
survival demands:
you work long hours, the trains don’t run on time and you had to live further out to afford a flat, or a
room, so you spend even longer trying to get home, then you don’t feel like cooking, you row with
partners or children or housemates because you are tired and fed up. All the places to meet others are
places to eat or drink, and that costs. Easier just to shut the door and watch Netflix in the few free
hours you have … This is where the responsibility doctrine kicks in: you should be out there, running
marathons, taking 6 am yoga classes. You’re not looking after number one. You are isolating yourself.
Societal and cultural Factors
Culture is defined as the beliefs, behaviours, habits, attitudes, and other characteristics shared
by members of a certain group or society. Sociologists define society as a group of individuals
who interact in such a manner that they share a common culture (Cliffs Note, 2015). As a result,
society has its own set of shared culture, rules, and conventions. This system imposes social
norms on society, and people are "expected" to conform to the norms of specific social groups
when they want to feel like they belong to that group. Some who failed to adhere to those norms,
perhaps due to their inability or unwillingness to conform, or those who rebelled against them
may end up as outcasts or may face social isolation. This state of stress and poverty, forced on
by the political economic situation, is now furthered by social isolation. As a consequence,
social isolation will naturally lead to a lack of social contacts, resulting in the distressing feeling
of being alone or disconnected. In other words, Loneliness. Under these conditions, the most
potent mechanism to cope with neoliberal individual identity and its isolation is escapism. And
Fiction is one of the best ways to do this. A fictitious universe that provides people with a
complete setting, characters, stories, and allows their imaginations to run wild. To put it another
way, an ideal version of the world in which some lonely individuals may find comfort and
enjoy "relationships" and interactions with a set of elements and characters while living out
their wildest fantasies.
2. Media, Information and Content in Today’s modern society
It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with all that is being released in practically all
forms of media. On the one hand, we are constantly bombarded with information via social
media, advertisements, work or education, daily life, and so on. And even when we finally get
home after a long day and turn on the tv, laptop, smartphone, or any other gadget to rewind and
12 | P a g e
