The Terminal Self

Inspired by interactionist theory and Goffman’s dramaturgy, this book traces the terminal or online self, generated by our modern practice of interacting with others on terminals, both on- and offline. It explores the deterioration of our sensory engagement in face-to-face interactions; the ‘hyper-narcissism’ that comes to characterise the project of the self in contemporary society; the short, decontextualized, often faceless and instrumental nature of our terminal interactions with others; the drive for immediate gratification, voyeurism and exhibitionism that shapes hypermodern lives; and the sense of panic and urgency that prevails in our responses to an incessant flow of communication.