First-person

I set up a simple experiment: Every day I would go on TikTok and scroll the FYP for around 30 minutes, ignoring relationship-themed content and double-tapping anything to do with breakups or being single.

With major home upgrades out of the question, I’m left wondering what I can do to cut costs. It dawns on me that if I want to save money, I need to exclude some draughts.

What I am looking at is an avatar generated entirely by artificial intelligence, projected in 3D by hundreds of rapidly spinning LEDs. 

I’ve been here all weekend, watching fans of all ages and nationalities compete in card games, mobile games, and fighting games, as well as over who has the most and rarest merch. These are the Pokémon World Championships, the Glastonbury of the Pokécalender, finally being held in ExCeL London after two years of COVID disruption.

I logged onto several dating apps and assumed a different character for each match. The rules were simple, I was only allowed to communicate using iconic lines they had spoken in the show.

What's bizarre about all this is that I'm not watching this play out on the streets of South London - I'm watching it on Grand Theft Auto. And the people in the scenario aren't cops and robbers, but a roleplaying group by the name of London's Calling.