Otherness of individual existence in the context of fake reality

The article considers the phenomenon of fake and its influence on the individual existence of a person. In circumstances where public opinion is entirely manipulated, the freedom of thought is constrained. Overwhelmed by the excessive influx of information, an individual gradually loses the capacity to distinguish between what is true and false. Having embraced the ideological slogan “This is completely different” and acknowledged the importance, the acceptability of double standards, opting for a fabricated reality becomes a choice of the lesser evil for an individual. On the one hand, there exists truth, liberty, and accountability, which necessitates considerable effort for a meaningful existence. On the other hand, the devaluation of these values to the level of “one’s own truth,” comfortable conformity, and a reduction in the degree of accountability to the status of “possessing” or “maintaining one’s reputation” enables an individual to seamlessly conform to the prevailing consensus, without stepping out of the comfort zone. The data from domestic and foreign researchers studying this phenomenon are analyzed. Key issues related to the nature of fake, the roles of mass media and new media are identified, the author’s definition of this concept is provided. In the context of this article, a “fake” is interpreted as a means of ideological manipulation, serving as a defining feature of a text regarding its deviation from the truth. The typical psychological traits of an “average” individual, who generates untruths and is open to accepting them as facts, his/her inclination to “avoid information”, attributing truthfulness to what is essentially an opinion, and showing unquestioning faith in diverse experts, enable contemporary information consumers to merge their personal perception of reality with the constructed reality presented by influential media sources. It is concluded that a fake, having various forms of existence, is an ideological tool for manipulating individual and supra-individual consciousness, while individuals find themselves immersed in a new fake reality.