محبو المنزل .. الأداء والحميمية في عصر الإعلام الجديد

Home People: Performance and Intimacy in the New Media Age highlights a captivating, if often overlooked, phenomenon: how ordinary people transform their private lives into engaging performances on the digital stage. Focusing on home dance videos posted on Instagram between 2010 and 2020, the book explores the delicate art of “aesthetics of intimacy”—the beautification of intimacy through the interplay of body, place, and media—and the paradox of the homely. These seemingly spontaneous performances reveal how users craft images of closeness and authenticity, drawing the audience into a stylized version of their home lives. However, Porter argues that these intimate depictions exist within a broader system of platform control, algorithmic surveillance, and the commodification of personal expression. Porter uses hand drawings rather than screenshots, reflecting her commitment to critiquing the dynamics of exploitation in digital visibility while respecting the personal nature of the media studied. By examining the intersection between personal agency, algorithmic control, and the commodification of authenticity, “Homebodies” offers a nuanced understanding of how technology is redefining intimacy, identity, and creativity in the 21st century.