The Domination of Simulation in The Media World: Digital Duality and The Recursive Production of Hyperreality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/idealogy.v11i2.952Keywords:
Simulation, Hyperreality, Reception, Spectacle, Social MediaAbstract
This conceptual paper presents a critical theoretical examination of simulation as the prevailing cultural logic in contemporary digital media. Drawing on Jean Baudrillard’s theories of simulation and hyperreality, Guy Debord’s concept of the spectacle and Stuart Hall’s reception theory, the paper posits that simulation has transcended mere representation to become an ontological condition that shapes digital existence. In social media environments, individuals embody a state of digital duality, acting as both viewers and performers, engaging in a recursive cycle where simulated realities are consumed, reproduced and normalised. Rather than simply considering simulation as an aesthetic stylisation, this paper conceptualises it as a self-sustaining system of signs that configures identity, authenticity, and social value. By introducing the concepts of digital duality and recursive hyperreality, this study offers a theoretical framework for understanding how contemporary media subjects both inhabit and perpetuate hyperreal cultural conditions.
Keywords: Simulation, Hyperreality, Reception, Spectacle, Social Media
References
Abidin, C. (2018). Internet celebrity: Understanding fame online. Emerald Publishing.
Abidin, C. (2023). The Matrix of Authenticity in Influencer Cultures. Cultural Science Journal, 15(1), 14–29. https://doi.org/10.2478/csj-2023-0002
Banet-Weiser, S. (2021). Gender, social media, and the labor of authenticity. American Quarterly, 73(1), 141–144.
Baudrillard, J. (1994). Simulacra and simulation (S. F. Glaser, Trans.). University of Michigan Press. (Original work published 1981)
Bauman, Z. (2000). Liquid Modernity. Polity Press.
Beer, D. (2013). Popular culture and new media: The politics of circulation. Palgrave Macmillan.
Bucher, T. (2018). If...Then: Algorithmic Power and Politics. Oxford University Press.
Couldry, N., & Hepp, A. (2017). The mediated construction of reality. Polity Press.
Debord, G. (1967). The society of the spectacle. Buchet-Chastel.
Duffy, B. E. (2017). (Not) getting paid to do what you love: Gender, social media, and aspirational work. Yale University Press.
Gillespie, T. (2014). The relevance of algorithms. Media technologies: Essays on communication, materiality, and society, 167(2014), 167.
Goldhaber, M. H. (1997). The attention economy and the Net. First Monday, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v2i4.519
Hall, S. (1973). Encoding and decoding in the television discourse. Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, University of Birmingham.
Hall, S. (Ed.). (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. Sage.
Hjarvard, S. (2013). The mediatization of culture and society. Routledge.
Hjarvard, S. (2016). Mediatization and the changing authority of religion. Media, Culture & Society, 38(1), 8-17.
Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New York University Press.
Klinger, U., & Svensson, J. (2024). Network media logic revisited. In The Routledge Handbook of Political Campaigning (pp. 43-57). Routledge.
Luhmann, N. (1995). Social systems. Stanford University Press.
Marwick, A. E., & Boyd, D. (2011). To see and be seen: Celebrity practice on Twitter. Convergence, 17(2), 139–158.
Mayer-Schönberger, V. (2009). Delete: The virtue of forgetting in the digital age. Princeton University Press.
Norazman, N. A. A., Mohd Puad, F., & Zaidi, Z. A. (2023). Review of Malaysian social media influencers’ credibility. Idealogy Journal, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2023, pp. 123-130. https://doi.org/10.24191/idealogy.v8i2.511
Ritzer, G., & Jurgenson, N. (2010). Production, consumption, prosumption: The nature of capitalism in the age of the digital ‘prosumer’. Journal of consumer culture, 10(1), 13-36.
Rosedi, T. P. R. T., Daud, N., & Samsudin, M. R. (2024). Exploring the Inner Path: A Comprehensive Literature Review on Self-Engagement Behaviour and Its Impact on Business-Oriented Social Media Content. Idealogy Journal, 9(1).
Senft, T. M. (2008). Camgirls: Celebrity and community in the age of social networks (Vol. 4). Peter Lang.
Sharuddin, R. S. I. R., & Baharom, S. N. (2024). Brand Ambassadors and Online Influencers on The Consumer's Purchase Intentions in The Social Media Landscape. Idealogy Journal, 9(1).
Striphas, T. (2015). Algorithmic culture. European journal of cultural studies, 18(4-5), 395-412.
Turkle, S. (2011). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. Basic Books.
Van Dijck, J. (2013). The culture of connectivity: A critical history of social media. Oxford University Press.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 UiTM Press
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
UiTM Press (the Publisher) has agreed to publish the undersigned author’s paper in Idealogy Journal. The agreement is contingent upon the fulfilment of a number of requirements listed below.
1. The undersigned author warrants that the paper entitled below is original, that it is not in any way libellous or unlawful in Malaysia, that it does not infringe any copyright or other proprietary right. The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required. The undersigned represents that he/she has the power and authority to sign and execute this agreement.
2. The undersigned author warrants that the paper entitled below has not been published elsewhere, and also it will not be submitted anywhere else for publication prior to acceptance/rejection by this Journal.
3. By submitting the paper entitled below, the undersigned author agrees to transfer the rights to publish and distribute the paper in an international e-journal (entitled above) to Publisher.
4. The undersigned author agrees to make a reasonable effort to conform to Publisher's submission guidelines and to liaise with the editor to ensure that the requirements of these guidelines are met to a reasonable degree.
5. The corresponding author signs for and accepts responsibility for releasing this material on behalf of any and all coauthors. This agreement is to be signed by at least one of the authors who has obtained the assent of the co-author(s) where applicable. After submission of this agreement signed by the corresponding author, changes of authorship or in the order of the authors listed will not be accepted.
