I’ve been trying to articulate this as best I can for a couple of days now. But what I’d like to say is I genuinely feel like the current era with Paul is like an episode of Black Mirror. (If you haven’t seen the show Black Mirror, look up the synopsis of the episodes on Wikipedia, especially ‘Nosedive’).
We are all living in a time where social media is STILL relatively new and we still don’t know the long term effects and impact it can have on us as viewers and consumers, but also with creators & influencers.. it’s important for me to say here that I do NOT class Paul as neither a creator nor influencer, but rather a ‘reoccurring figure’ on our screens.
I cannot fathom how bizarre Paul’s behaviour and actions are in general, but also as a result of social media. As has been said many times before it is just like watching a car crash, but a car crash that repeats daily and gradually gets worse with more details coming to light and no sign of it stopping. With the rapid evolution of social media as a whole, but especially with lives on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok and having SO much at our fingertips 24/7; and in regards to having little to no regulatory restriction or legislation in place for online safety, I genuinely believe in possibly 10 or 20 years time, this current period of time will have its own documentaries and a place in the history books. And I certainly think Paul will appear in them. I believe this man is beyond help, and is too much of a narcissist to ever accept help. He doesn’t know boundaries, doesn’t take accountability, he is manic, totally paranoid, is a predator, deflects and gaslights continuously, would be considered a loner, and provokes individuals and vulnerable groups alike. I believe Paul’s downfall will be him taking it one step too far and it involving another person who has had enough, or it will be a downward spiral of him going insane… quite literally crashing and burning in front of the worlds eyes in both instances. It’s an utter horror show, unlike something we’ve ever seen before with social media being so accessible and with someone who is utterly addicted and out of control.