Simulacra and Simulation (book by Jean Baudrillard)

"Simulacra and Simulation" by Jean Baudrillard explores how modern media and culture create copies or representations of reality that often replace or distort the real experience. He argues that in contemporary society, symbols, images, and media no longer reflect reality but instead simulate it, leading us to live in a world of "hyperreality." In this state, distinctions between what is real and what is simulated blur, making it difficult to distinguish truth from its representations. Baudrillard's work encourages critical reflection on how media shapes perceptions and the nature of reality itself.