Sociotechnical Scale| The Couch Guy Chronicles: Scaling Visibility, Publicity, and Privacy on the Web

Abstract

This article develops a case study of a TikTok spectacle called “Couch Guy” to examine virality as an event that scales visibility. As one of the most prominent memes of 2021, Couch Guy illustrates the sociotechnical mechanics of virality as well as conflicting viewpoints about public-private boundaries on the Internet. While some consider visibility an inevitable consequence of online disclosure, others uphold privacy as an essential component of digital spaces. By focusing on experiences of and attitudes around virality, this article elucidates tensions in cases when visibility is scaled across social media.