“Me2,” the new short from Alex J. Mann, is a jolting reminder that carefully curated self-presentation just might be a dead end.
It’s called a thirst trap. You post a selfie online from your optimum angle, making sex eyes at the camera, and wait for the ardent Insta-response. It could be a quick self-esteem boost, a sly declaration of pride, a jealousy generator, or an earnest solicitation for dating interest. Maybe the person who posted it isn’t even sure. But here’s the thing: Nearly every photo on Instagram is there for one of these reasons. The real thirst trap is Instagram itself, and what it’s trapped is you.
