Are you faking it on Twitter?

I’ve always advocated authenticity in social media. Be yourself.

Lately I’ve become increasingly aware of people who aren’t themselves at all. They create personas, some by grand design, others through assimilation.

I met a guy last night who puts out a sarcastic, satirical vibe on Twitter for his 50,000 followers but is, in reality, not that guy face-to-face.

It’s part of the larger trend I notice away from authenticity and towards eccentricity. Now that Twitter is so mainstream, people are starting to look for an edge to keep it interesting.

You fake it when you’re bored, or opportunistic.

If you’re a guy like Ricky Gervais, who’s the only celeb tweeter I follow, everything you do is in character: in person, online, in the boxing ring. He’s edgy and pisses people off, but consistently so. He’s authentic. Doesn’t seem bored or exploitative to me either.

On the other hand, many tweeters are becoming generic hyperbolists. The exclamation mark is alive and well and propagating on Twitter. In 140 characters, communication is most often left to grunts and squeals and screamers.

OMG! So #EXCITED to see CB speak!! #cantwait

The trend towards positively orgasmic reactions to everyday occurrences is symptomatic of both the willful cultivation of our personalities in social media and the homogenization of our experiences.

With all this social teeth-whitening and public performing going on, is Twitter simply becoming the new Hollywood, all fake and bake?