Signaling is often the underlying motivation for our behaviors. We make visible our values to both the in-group and out-groups in ways such as buying a luxury automobile (to signal wealth) or posting a flattering image of ourselves on vacation. Products and services can be viewed as selling signaling as the underlying value to users. For example Fortnite, which is free to play, sells costumes and emotes which have no affect the ability to win the game and are purely sold as a form of signaling.
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Digital Status Symbols Arise from Homogeneity
When everyone gets the same thing, the smallest differences become status symbols.
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With so much of our time spent with computers and the internet, we ought to think about the quality of our digital lives. What makes for a good digital life? How do you achieve it? What should we do to improve it?
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New-practitioners adopting the practice of meditation and mindfulness has a tendency to coincide with a change of identity. Outward signs like wearing buddhist bracelets or behaving differently or even discussing the positive experiences they have had with others is an attempt to raise one’s status (i.e. I’m superior to you because I’ve found spirituality). It’s counter to the practice because it contributes to reinforcing the self and can be harmful to making progress. This was the impetus from removing ‘streaks’ from the Waking Up app (see signaling as a service).
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Overtly stating or doing something for the purposes of letting other people know your position on a social issue for fear of being looked down on.