The Apology Video Era: When Remorse Becomes a Performance

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The rate at which things are going when it comes to social media content is alarming. Soon, we may no longer be able to differentiate between what is real and what is fake. The desperation people show these days is at its peak—everyone just wants to do whatever it takes to trend. Gone are the days when people were cautious about their actions and how it might affect their reputation. Back then, individuals built their names and brands with care and were deeply concerned about tarnishing them, as they held their integrity in high esteem.

Now, it has gotten to the point where people are even afraid of what to watch online, and parents are growing increasingly concerned, constantly seeking ways to regulate what their children might be exposed to. The negative side of social media seems to be more dominant than ever before.

What bothers me the most is the scandalous content that goes viral—especially from influencers. Once they stop being relevant or trending, they often look for ways to get back in the spotlight by creating controversy, without thinking about the consequences. I don’t even know who started the trend of public apology videos. Yes, people used to apologize publicly in the past, but it was done through official press releases or televised interviews, and there was a proper process: first acknowledging the wrongdoing, then promising to do better.

These days, however, people just sit in a corner of their room, turn on their camera, and start acting remorseful—even though it’s obvious that many are faking it. They forget that viewers can easily read their facial expressions and tone.

I believe the root cause of this trend is the monetization of online platforms. I remember when Twitter wasn’t monetized—we rarely saw people tweeting outrageous things. Now, people post scandalous content just to gain traffic and attention. There are even apps where individuals go live, expose their private parts with their faces uncovered, and beg for gifts—all just to earn money. I often wonder if these people have family members watching online. Don’t they think about the future consequences? Someone might be screen-recording them and could use it against them someday.

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A popular TikTok user recently had her nudes leaked. It’s possible the video was made back when she was still struggling and trying to make money. Now that she’s more successful and even a mother of two beautiful girls, someone leaked the video online, causing her to trend on Twitter again. And what followed? The usual—she set up a camera and posted an emotional apology video. But who’s going to believe it? No one forced her to make such a scandalous video in the first place.

At this point, I scroll past every apology video I see on my feed, especially when they come immediately after the backlash. You got called out in the morning, and by evening, you’ve released an apology video. What are you trying to prove? Were you expecting the backlash? Did you plan it? Many of these apologies are clearly scripted or made under pressure. They’re carefully crafted to seem believable, just enough for the issue to fade after a day or two—then it’s back to business as usual.

The sad truth is: people aren’t truly sorry anymore. If you remove the monetization, attention, and traffic, most of these people wouldn’t even bother making apology videos. Their apologies aren’t about genuine remorse—they’re about preserving their public image and revenue streams.