Abstract

The recent inquiries into the dynamics of exchanges between social actors evoke the notions of ‘liquidity’ and ‘mcdonaldization’, while their objects are rendered distant from ‘the real’. Using the ‘popular’ examples from the nonymous (Facebook) and anonymous (YouTube) social media, the current study emphasizes the role of increasing mediation of images in the processes of ‘liquid’ societal sensemaking. Managing the relationship between reality and image is conceptualized in terms of ‘translucency’ – the capacity to make oneself explicitly visible as an ‘image consumer–creator’ while still enjoying the fantasy that reality is inherent in one's rendition. Since contingency is disabled, its associated notions: ‘luck’ and ‘serendipity’ are reconceptualized and can be employed as heuristics of translucent sensemaking expressed through its construal of ‘actor’, ‘image’, ‘performance’ and ‘success’. Finally, it is argued that the ‘translucent’ – display-only-oriented – mode of interaction is feasible to become populated by arbitrary ideological contents.