Sartre’s “Hell is Other People” in the Age of Social Media

When Jean-Paul Sartre wrote this famous line in his 1944 existentialist play No Exit, he wasn’t just being dramatic—he was dissecting the torment of human relationships. In the play, three damned souls are locked in a room together for eternity, forced to see themselves through each other’s judgmental eyes. There’s no physical torture, just the unbearable weight of being perceived.

Fast-forward to 2025, and Sartre’s hell feels eerily familiar—not in a locked room, but in the infinite scroll of social media.

The Original Hell: Sartre’s Existential Prison

Sartre’s philosophy argues that we define ourselves through the gaze of others. When someone looks at us, they don’t see us—they see their own interpretation, their biases, their expectations. This creates a kind of psychological imprisonment where we’re constantly trying to control how we’re perceived.

In No Exit, the characters Garcin, Inès, and Estelle can’t escape each other’s judgments. Garcin, a coward, is forced to see himself through Inès’ contempt. Estelle, who craves validation, is destroyed when Garcin refuses to admire her. There are no mirrors in this hell—only other people reflecting back distorted versions of who they are.

Social Media: The New No Exit

Now, imagine that room is Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. Instead of three people, you’re trapped with billions of eyes watching, liking, judging.

The Infinite Gaze of the Algorithm

On social media, we perform. Every post is a calculated act: "Will this make me look smart? Attractive? Happy?"

Unlike Sartre’s small cast of tormentors, social media subjects us to mass perception—strangers, acquaintances, and algorithms all shaping our self-image.

The Illusion of Connection, the Reality of Isolation

Sartre’s characters are stuck together but utterly alone. Similarly, social media promises connection but often delivers performance fatigue—loneliness disguised as engagement.

We DM instead of talking, react instead of feeling, and curate instead of living.

The Judgment That Never Ends

In No Exit, the characters can’t look away. On social media, we doomscroll, addicted to the very judgments that hurt us.

Cancel culture, viral shame, and comparison traps turn the digital world into a panopticon of perpetual scrutiny.

Can We Escape the Digital Hell?

Sartre’s play famously ends with Garcin realizing: "Well, let’s get on with it." There’s no exit—just acceptance. But is that our fate online?

Three Possible Escapes (Or at Least Coping Mechanisms)

Radical Authenticity – What if we stopped performing? Posting without filters, admitting flaws, rejecting the need for external validation. (But would anyone listen, or would the algorithm bury us?)

Digital Detoxes & Intentional Disconnection – Choosing moments of pure being without recording or sharing.

Reclaiming the Gaze – Using social media as a tool rather than a mirror. Following thinkers, artists, and communities that expand rather than imprison us.

Final Thought: Is There Hope Beyond the Hell?

Sartre believed that while we can’t control how others see us, we can control how we respond. Social media might be a modern No Exit, but unlike Sartre’s characters, we still have one power: the ability to log off.

The question is—do we dare?