Memes vs. Algorithm in metaverse inspired by real rebellion stories
Kristine is Not Well is a 20-minute animated VR social media simulation that highlights the resistance of online activists against algorithmic surveillance and censorship.
It showcases the creative use of homophones, emojis, and memes in spatial and interactive metaphors in VR. The story invites the audience to join Owlet, a good-vibes-only social platform that blends elements of TikTok and VRChat, where content creators offer lighthearted experiences like French lessons between reindeer and VR workouts led by a muscular dog. However, when the popular influencer @KristineMusic suddenly gets removed from the platform, the VR experience transforms into a battle between creativity and AI detection as the audience tries to uncover what happened to Kristine and bypass the censorship.
⏱️Runtime: 18-25 minutes 🗺️Production Country: USA, Netherlands 📧 Contacts: [email protected]
Onboarding a GOOD VIBES ONLY social media
Following fictional influencers
Sending comments
Experiencing surveillance
Combating censorship
VR world hopping
Kristine’s Music Performance
In a world where every word and action is harvested for data and privatized for profit, people around the world often fight back in similar ways: being more creative than the algorithm. Yet such resistance is usually under-recognized because of its grassroots nature. In light of increasing automated surveillance and control everywhere, based on true stories of rebellion, I want to use Kristine Is Not Well to celebrate humanity's resilience and creativity in fighting back against algorithmic oppression.
Living under extremely oppressive digital surveillance, encoding words with special characters, foreign languages, and emojis has become the essential form of online communication for people in mainland China. In early 2020, Chinese Internet users reposted COVID news in thousands of different formats to circumvent the information crackdown and inform others about the unfolding epidemic. [1] [2]
Starting in 2021, QR code has been frequently used to share e-books in America, as their physical copies are being banned from schools. [3]
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Putin’s crackdown on protests of the Ukraine war, people have found ways to express their opposition through small displays of resistance [4]