I'm currently working on a story with some cyberpunk elements. It basically revolves around the idea that there are essentially assassin duels for fun and profit. The contestants and their apprentices are given the identities and dossiers of their opponents. The event organizers use persistent surveillance, drones, and bystander footage to follow the competitors. Bystanders are paid a bounty for particularly juicy footage. Each event takes place in a city or resort area. Basically, the event goes until one of the contestants is killed, disabled or is captured or surrenders.
Think the Running Man) meets White Lotus plus EDtv and the Truman Show. Here are some of the ideas bouncing around in there.
Legalized dueling and violence. This is nothing new in sci fi. Many have mused over the possibility that first blood, to the death, twenty paces turn and fire and such would replace or supplement litigation. Some have speculated that this may become a form of entertainment. Under the concept of Mutual Combat, and an increasing tolerance on the part of prosecutors for criminal violence, it's not impossible. Hell, if someone wants some help getting dead, why not make a game of it. 50/50 chance might sound pretty good, and nobody can technically call it suicide. In the UK, there are PSAs telling people that choking your sexual partner might not be a good idea, especially on the first date.
Monetization and commodification. What if a person's social media presence following could be bought and sold like cryptocurrency or stock? Imagine this. Some singer's Facebook, X, Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, Telegram, etc accounts are bundled together like a mutual fund. Someone could buy shares. Say it drops small, say $0.00001 a share. Now say that singer goes super. Taylor Swift super. Now that following is worth 20k easy. What would that do to the social media environment. TikTok, YouTube and other sites are crowded with people trying to make bank by doing silly stuff. Hawk Tuah went from zero to bingo in a blink, now people need Google to know what I'm talking about. If the person who made that post knew that people were investing in her personality, what would happen when her 15 seconds are up? What if she was a big investor?
Reality entertainment. The idea that reality TV and violence could merge is nothing new. What is changing is the public's appetite for such content. Violent and / or criminal activity is almost guaranteed to get likes, clicks and shares. They now have commercials begging people to call the police first before livestreaming police in trouble. Both sides in the Ukraine war have been circulating combat footage for clicks and likes. Most notoriously, HAMAS terrorists used cameras, GoPros and smart phones to document their actions on October 7th and in the Gaza war, then posted it online.
Social Media. Everybody wants their 15 minutes of fame, but in today's world you only get 15 seconds. See something, say something? To hell with that. People are more likely to livestream a fire before thinking about calling the fire department. Photobomb a perp walk, why not. Livestream yourself committing felonies? Clicks and likes can be used to justify almost anything. Main Character Syndrome at it's most bizarre. There are entire subs for that and that's damn near the entire point of TikTok.
Persistent surveillance. Security cameras are everywhere. Mail men, Amazon delivery guys, DoorDash drivers have all gained unwelcome notoriety after door camera footage goes viral. China's social credit system is built upon gazillions of CCTV cameras and electronic monitoring. The federal government has paid particular attention to those who have shopped at both sporting goods stores and religious bookstores. Right here, Facebook collects data on every click and every swipe you make, and sells everything to retailers who want to sell you stuff. Alexa and Siri are passing everything you say to people willing to pay for your thoughts.
TikTok and Brainrot. Lets face it. People will do all sorts of stupid crap to get famous. People can make big money for posting their own silliness. F**k Around and Find Out sums up the epic fails. Increasingly, nothing is out of bounds for some. They have entire subreddits for this.
Life is Cheap. Abortion on demand. Euthanasia, no questions asked. All drugs legalized. Anti-natalism. Population reduction (just don't ask for details). Why waste time committing genocide when you can get people to pay to do it to themselves.
Life Made to Order. IVF is a secular medical miracle, but it's not without it's risks. What do you do with the extras. Then there's surrogacy. If you're only renting someone's womb, does that mean you've bought a say in what the surrogate does while she has yours in the oven. What about when you get more than you contracted for? What happens when the surrogate has her own ideas?
AI. Artificial Intelligence is able to process massive quantities of data, then present it in Cliff Notes form. Their already using it to predict what the enemy is doing on the battlefield, what the stock market is going to do, and much more. AIs are reviewing medical data and making diagnoses. Genetic screening can already predict your chances for a number of illnesses. What happens if someone feeds all of a person's genetic, behavioral and biographical data through an AI to predict what you might do. You might find yourself flagged by an AI as a potential alcoholic mass murdering sexual harasser based upon your DNA, your web browsing history and your dating profile. Now, we all know that won't be passed out to potential employers, law enforcement and HR departments. Right?
Bread & Circuses. Governments use money, often gained on credit, to buy votes and appease various demographics. Sports and entertainment (make that sports entertainment) are huge business. TikTok, social media, and countless streaming services (SFW and NSFW) struggle to keep us amused and / or distracted. Marijuana is almost easier to find than a good cigar, and in many places it's legal. Slots, table games, and sports betting are popping up everywhere. Boxing is becoming passe. Pro Wrestling is still big, while MMA / UFC is huge. Blood sells.
Put all of this in a blender, hit frappe, then dial it up to twelve.