I stumbled upon a new Netflix show this week called The Circle. It has everything I am fascinated with in one delicious bite. Social media, reality TV, fascinating people and a whole lot of technology. So I’m all in! The most interesting part, of course, was that I could literally DM all the contestants who are presumably done shooting (and sworn to secrecy) and I felt like I know them a little already. Funny how that happens… Obviously, since I’m Team India, I’m rooting for Shubham Goel, affectionately dubbed “Shooby” by the first evictee Antonio (pretty happy with that decision btw, not gonna lie. What a “player”) and what a predictable visit to Rebecca, who I’m glad gave him a healthy dose of reality.
But since content has made the leap from the living room to my phone and I can literally engage with the people I’m watching, I simply couldn’t resist visiting their profiles – and sliding into their DMs! What I found was an interesting snapshot of their lives.
And some genuinely good people just trying to live their best lives. (I so wish I could have had this conversation with Joey from Friends back in the day btw. Yes, I know he’s not real but a girl can dream, can’t she?)
So since Netflix obliged my curiosity, here’s what I have for you. I asked them the questions I’ve been thinking about ever since I got addicted to the show. A bunch of the contestants will be sending their answers shortly. However, I got our very own Indian contestant Shubham to give me the deets first. Here they are!
1. What did you do all day when there were no circle chats?
Shubham Goel: I played ping pong against the wall, walked in the room and made charts analyzing the relationships in the game. The game was always in motion so I was always thinking about my connections with these people! The funny thing is that as the game progressed in the first 4 days, I started to lose my hobbies because I became so embedded in my connections.
2. Do you feel you made genuine friends on The Circle?
SG: Yes, 100%. I went in the Circle to show that you don’t need to flirt, pander or catfish to make real connections but to just be yourself and I feel like the connections I made in there were so strong as a result.
3. Has The Circle impacted or changed your view about Social Media in any way compared to when you went in?
SG: The circle showed me that more people agree with my view that Social Media is Social Medusa and the Influencer culture has to change. I definitely feel more positive that something can be done to change Social Media and educate the public about the dangers of the addiction of the platform.
4. What was the best/worst part of being on the show?
SG: The best part of The Circle was the connections I made with people and the worst part was being part of a decision to block someone from the game.
5. Are any of you really friends now post the show?
Shubham Goel: Yes all of them!
6. Would you forgive someone for Catfishing you?
SG: Yes, I would. The most important thing I remember is that we are all different people coming from different walks of life and every single person is trying to prove a different point. At the end of the day, it is a game and you have to respect they are playing the game from their angle.
7. Did you feel more comfortable being vulnerable and sharing personal stories when you couldn’t see each other?
SG: I definitely felt more vulnerable because we did not have access to our phones, external systems or the outside world. It really created a system where we could really just focus on each other without distractions of the modern world.
8. In the first four episodes, we see two evictions and two new entries. Would you personally have done anything differently in those four episodes?
SG: No, I would not. The thing is with a social experiment like The Circle, all you can do is make decisions in the moment that feel right for the gut and is true to the person you are.
9. If you could change one thing about social media, what would it be? And why?
Shubham Goel: Put a mandated cap on the number of partnerships or ads an influencer can make in a month so that the products do not become just a paycheck for them.
Intrigued yet? Now I’m just waiting for the next episode (or 4?) to drop on Wednesday and praying the right hearts to get a blue tick!
Dear Netflix, please don’t torture us with one episode at a time. This in binge-worthy stuff! Up until then, stay tuned for all the answers I’ll be posting soon. I legit can’t wait for tomorrow, can you?
Also, follow @missmalinitrending to know more about your favourite influencers like and content creators – and best of luck Shooby!