The Internet Freezes Identity

For public figures, platform incentives and follower expectations lock a past persona in place, punishing deviation and rewarding escalation. Over time, creators become 'digital fossils' trapped in a performative self that audiences expect, even as their real views change. — If online fame freezes identity, it helps explain why political influencers radicalize, why apologies rarely 'work,' and why discourse ossifies around caricatures.