The Timeless Art of Hyper-Curation: From the Fire Circle to the Algorithm
Human behaviour has not changed since the dawn of time, but our tools have evolved.
It’s the dawn of time. Mok Gwai sits around the fire with his hunting companions, recounting the day’s harrowing hunt. A close call with a predator and the bitter taste of near-failure dominate the memories of the day, yet the story told around the flickering flames is something entirely different. The hunters downplay their fear, embellish their bravery, and transform the ordeal into an epic tale of triumph. Tribe members gather close, inspired by the invincible, unbeatable image of their protectors. This act of embellishment serves a purpose: it inspires confidence, solidifies social bonds, and affirms the tribe’s resilience.
Fast forward to today, and the ancient fire circle has become TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Instead of tales of the hunt, we curate perfectly filtered lives, crafting stories designed to inspire envy, admiration, or aspiration. The essence, however, remains the same: humanity has always been driven to hyper-curate our identities and stories. In the age of algorithms and generative AI, this timeless tendency has reached unprecedented complexity and scale.
Hyper-curation—selectively presenting the best version of ourselves—is not a new phenomenon. From early cave paintings to medieval tapestries and Renaissance portraits, humans have always sought to shape how others perceive them. Storytelling, art, and even fashion projected ideals of strength, virtue, and status, much as social media profiles do today. The campfire stories of old weren’t just entertainment. They were tools for social cohesion. Hunters embellished their bravery to gain respect, storytellers dramatized tales to teach lessons, and communities rallied around shared myths. These curated narratives helped individuals and groups navigate their social environments effectively.
Today, hyper-curation has evolved from the occasional tale or painted canvas to a near-constant activity. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube amplify this instinct, offering tools to refine, filter, and edit our lives into curated personas. But while the essence of curation remains, the tools and scale have changed dramatically. Stories that once travelled by word of mouth now reach millions in seconds. Likes, shares, and comments create a feedback loop, encouraging more extreme or aspirational curation. Algorithms prioritize the most engaging, often highly curated content, perpetuating a cycle of hyper-perfection. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and MidJourney enable hyper-curation on an entirely new level, creating perfect scripts, images, or videos that may not even involve the real person.
In this digital landscape, hyper-curation can have unintended and far-reaching consequences. The growing gap between curated realities and authentic experiences can fuel feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. Young people, in particular, struggle with self-esteem in the face of impossibly perfect feeds, mistaking curated personas for genuine lives. When every interaction is filtered, genuine connections become harder to forge. Relationships may falter as individuals struggle to reconcile their hyper-curated personas with their true selves. Generative AI enables the creation of hyper-realistic yet entirely false content. Deepfakes, fabricated narratives, and algorithmic amplification can influence public opinion, erode societal trust, and manipulate elections. Perhaps the most profound consequence is the erosion of individual agency. The pressure to conform to algorithmic trends can stifle individual expression. Instead of living authentically, people are pushed toward homogeneity in their pursuit of likes and virality.
Despite these challenges, hyper-curation is not inherently bad. When approached thoughtfully, it can inspire creativity, foster connection, and share knowledge. A balanced approach, rooted in classical libertarian values, offers a path forward. Individuals should retain the freedom to craft their narratives while being mindful of the impact on themselves and others. Digital literacy and self-awareness are key to making thoughtful, informed choices. We need to evolve to a state where platforms and creators emphasize authenticity by celebrating diverse, imperfect, and honest stories. Consumers must also be able to spot weaponized and otherwise harmful content and to call out the content creators for their dishonesty. Generative AI and algorithmic tools must operate with clear guidelines and accountability.
Demystifying how algorithms work can prevent misuse and rebuild trust. After all, from decision trees to random forests to neural networks and deep learning, the methodology behind all these models
are rooted in the basic quantitative methods we learn as children.
Perhaps most importantly, individuals must reclaim their agency. Rather than letting algorithms dictate trends, users can prioritize their own values and interests. This might involve stepping away from hyper-curated spaces or seeking unfiltered, offline experiences. I long for the campfire braai where I don’t have to curate my presence to fit in with some content creator’s feed. Imagine a future where humans decide how they show up to an experience, free from the need to perform for a digital audience.
From the flickering firelight of ancient campsites to the glow of smartphone screens, hyper-curation has always been part of the human experience. It reflects our desire to connect, inspire, and belong. Yet, in the age of algorithms and generative AI, it’s more important than ever to strike a balance between curation and authenticity. By embracing classical libertarian values—freedom, transparency, and personal responsibility—we can harness the power of hyper-curation without losing sight of what makes us truly human.
Ina Cilliers MPL, Shadow MEC for E-Government