Authenticity as a concept came out of the hipster movement which primarily focuses on a sense of individuality. Of knowing and doing things that no one else is doing. Toby Shurin says in his essay After Authenticity

group identifications are resisted because they carry connotations of collective conformity, suggesting a concomitant loss of individuality that renders their members inauthentic

This is in line with a historical need for selfhood, that all came to a head in the social media saturated environment of brand marketing. Our societal script (society-is-scripted) has always been ridden with ideas of meritocracy, and “you can be whatever you want”, and personal uniqueness. This leads to a deep sense of entitlement to the idea of an authentic self.

Things do seem to be shifting however. Networked society through the internet is having a collectivist awakening. Social platform blast content and are designed for virality and groupthink (mastodon-is-antiviral), which makes it hard to have an ethical framework based on scarcity.

In this mix is the idea of premium-mediocre, the usage of brands and aesthetic to contend with economic uncertainty. People are made of brands, identities are co-created with brands just as much as religion, community and other systems of meaning. We are ready to admit that.

Other Related Meanderings: brands-can-be-meaningful brands-form-identities