How influencers distort rave culture

As much as social media has its benefits, there are just as many pitfalls. One key aspect of digital media that has infiltrated raves is influencer culture.

This includes everything from accounts run by wannabe “reporters” giving misinformation, to posers who perpetuate the notion that raving is all about big names and looking cool. Influencers can present a warped idea of rave culture and here’s how…

THEY CREATE A NARROW PORTRAYAL OF RAVES
A 60-second montage of one person’s experience at a party is nowhere near the full picture. Combine this with clips of big moments and high-impact content, and you get a misleading portrayal of the multi-layered club experience.

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT IMAGE
Social media influencing is largely about image. This can encourage party people to think that raving is mostly about how you look and are judged by other people, which is in direct conflict with the foundations of the culture.

NARRATIVES AND INFORMATION GET SIMPLIFIED
The short-form nature of social media means that many of the “journalistic” influencers overly simplify rave history and facts into digestible posts. This can undermine the complexity and nuance of electronic music culture and its narratives.

THEY TURN RAVES INTO MAINSTREAM ENTERTAINMENT
While raves were once relatively private spaces for self-expression, escape, connection and fun, influencer culture turns them into entertainment for people on their phones. Filming everything and turning it into disposable, commodified content is the opposite of what this culture is about.