That is so true. I grew up before the internet was a thing, and it's scary how much things have changed since I was a child.
There were no parasocial parasites. If you liked some actor or bandyou just consumed their media. If they turned to shit you stopped supporting them with your money. You would maybe get a reply from a star in form of a letter after waiting for months, and would get a standard reply with a printed autograph. If you were a hot female, you could get to meet & meat your band. That was pretty much it.
These days kids grow up with YouTube and Twitch and their "star" actually talking to them when they do something that puts cash in their pocket. And they get the feeling of being part of a community of friends. That's why "content creators" have some fancy name for their fanbase. You're not just a consumer, you're a "buddypalbro." Btw, plz put in the comments what your favorite moment was! Only you can help us grow!
Kids and wheelchairs get manipulated into thinking they matter to the streamer, while the streamer forgets about their existence the second he is done reading their name on the donation list. That is, of course, unless you are someone that has been giving thousands of dollars in a short time, or have been giving big donations for a long time. So being a whale is something to aspire to. But they are not your friends. They never will care. They will use you and throw you away when you aren't useful anymore. But I mean at least your name is in the part people skip on YouTube, at the end of the video.
Also, as far as I recall, brand loyalty wasn't a thing either. People just bought whatever was the best bang for their buck, and as soon as they were disappointed they'd switch. These days apple could require you to suck a bit of shit out of your sales person's asshole before you are allowed to purchase your grotesquely overpriced piece of hardware, and people would not only gladly do that, but also defend the decision on social media. "Well their diet is high in fiber so it's not THAT disgusting." 58k updoots on reddit.
Governments, companies and grifters just keep getting better at manipulating people. They have been doing this forever I believe. The internet and social media just makes it easier for them.
And media is complicit as fuck.
Get off my lawn and stop ruining shit for the rest of us