Hyperreality and Long-Distance Relationships

Hyperreality and Long-Distance Relationships

Torrento, R. (2019). Making Long-Distance Relationships Work as a Travel Nurse. Retrieved 19 September 2019, from https://hpcnursing.com/index.php/blog/item/making-long-distance-relationships-work-as-a-travel-nurse

Hyperreality is a fairly modern concept but is one that can be seen all around us in day to day life. A hyperreality is basically an enhanced reality, and this enhancement usually takes place through virtual or technological means but can also just be an illusion that is harnessed to cause some effect on a potential audience. We are increasingly subjected to this in day to day life, and a reason for this is technological advances being made that allow us to be exposed to these hyperrealities.

Major examples of this are Virtual Reality, reality shows, plastic surgery, realistic dolls (sex dolls,

reborn dolls, etc.) and theme parks. This is because they were all designed with the intent to

alter what their audience will perceive as reality.

One of the main ways I’ve observed a hyperreality in my life is through my communication with my boyfriend, who lives 2500 kilometres away. I’d describe it as a hyperreality because we rely on a mediated reality between the two of us in order to communicate. A mediated reality is one in which the broadcaster will only choose certain things to tell their audience in order to persuade them to believe their message, and contributes to hyperreality because it alters the audiences perceived reality (Kuttainen, 2019). I find myself doing this by doing things like making my bed or cleaning my surroundings before we video chat, only messaging him about the exciting parts of my day, and also taking my time to think of witty responses between texts. Because of this, he doesn’t experience the real version of me, but rather my ideal version of myself.

Having a relationship based in cyberspace is a strange and very modern scenario, and when visiting him in person it takes me a while to get used to life in reality with him. I notice myself being weirded out because we’ve had so many experiences with each other in the virtual world, and when we’re physically together it’s strange to merge them into reality. Bonnie Nardi addressed this in her review Virtuality by writing “Virtual phenomena are, of course, real in the sense of belonging to reality.” (Nardi, 2015).

The relationship I have with him feels very real, but not based in reality. So, to what extent is a hyperreality different to a reality?

Donald Hoffman addresses this in his Ted Talk “Do we See Reality as it Really is?”

REFERENCES:

·      Kuttainen, V. (2019). BA1002: Our Spaces: Networks, Narrative and the Making of the Place; Week 6 Lecture Powerpoint.

·      Nardi, B. (2015). virtuality. Annual Review of Anthropology, 44(1), 15-31. doi:10.1146/annurev-anthro-102214-014226