This year at Met Gala 2025, the lines seemed to get blurred between what was worn and what was real. The twist came, when images of Katy Perry surfaced over the internet, with her gorgeous look, going well with this year’s theme for the MET Gala, which was Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. But the twist was that, she was not even present at the event, and these viral images were AI generated – yet so believable. The singer later took to social media to explain her absence from the Met Gala, writing, “Couldn’t make it to the MET, I’m on The Lifetimes Tour (see you in Houston tomorrow IRL‼️).” She also joked, “P.S. I was actually with my mom this year, so she’s safe from the bots—but sending prayers for the rest of y’all!”
This goes to show, indeed technology is advancing, and we can observe the use of tech in different facets of our life. But does this signal towards AI taking over our senses? We are falling easily for AI generated images, more often than not, we tend to believe and react to what we see, without context.
This highlights the phenomenon of visual misinformation, as our brain likes to believe what it sees, we tend to conform to this without questioning whether what we are viewing is fact or fiction. Also focalizing on how AI is starting to change our perception, and shaping digital identity so realistically. The role of Generative AI is shifting our perspective towards the digital identity of celebrities, role models and amongst the numerous other things that we see on social media, even each other. This is why it becomes even more crucial to pause and reflect upon what we see on social media these days, to realize whether it is viral or real.
In retrospect, a decade back, perhaps it would have been eccentric to think about how Artificial intelligence is going to transform our reality and what we talk about, but today it’s just a few clicks away. It would have been nearly surreal, to imagine this in a time where AI and other such advanced technological developments hadn’t been refined.
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This is where Cyberpsychology steps in. It is becoming an important field, due to the very need for understanding how human behaviour is being impacted by technology in different ways, be it in our behaviour, emotion or even our perception.
From the lens of cyberpsychology, we can understand that sometimes we crave stimulating content so often out of habit and to just to keep ourselves engaged, that we tend to believe what we are viewing without thinking deeply about its authenticity. As we continue to live in a technologically thriving world, what lies ahead? Time shall tell. With new technologies coming up, its the time to utilize it mindfully, while also understanding its impact on our perception and thoughts
Another angle of cyberpsychology encompasses the impact of technology on the viewer’s mind. In the case of Met Gala, it is more than a fashion event. It is a dopamine filled gala, so much so that even weeks before the main event happens, there is a buzz about the anticipated looks and celebrities to come on social media platforms.
While what we see at the surface level, is the viral pictures, famous designer dresses, celeb moments and interviews. But it boils down to impacting and shaping the mind of the viewers, because it is a virtual yet a psychological experience for them. The Met Gala isn’t just about staying on the red carpets, but about making an imprint on social media feeds and minds of the people.
The virtual view of it can have psychological effects, including how individuals obsess over looks of the celebs like Diljit Dosanjh, Priyanka Chopra, Zendaya etc, to some experiencing the FOMO (fear of missing out), and different individuals experiencing certain common set of emotions, and some even getting the feeling of validation and relatability, by seeing and sharing the outfits of their favourite celebrities on their instagram pages, and discussing with their peers, and triggering different emotions on looking at the pictures of the event, in some sense making Met Gala a global behavioral phenomenon.
