Token Spotlights Social Media Ills in “One Like Equals” Video

Boston's own Token is back with yet another thought-provoking new song and video. This audio-visual is called "One Like Equals," a meditation on the ills of social media dependence.

In the video, which is directed by Ben Proulx and Token himself, a small girl grows up obsessed with her Instagram account as it gives her bits and pieces of the validation she and many other kids feel they need. When she's not posting random selfies, she's taking pictures of a family member while they're in a casket. Each time she takes a pic, she also takes some time to watch the Instagram likes pile up.

In the hook for the song, the New England-based lyricist highlights the trend of folks asking for "likes" on social media. In Token's example, people want "likes" to represent good vibes.

"One like equals one care/And when it's dark time one like equals one flare/And when the stocks rise one like equals one share/And when my mom dies one like equals one prayer," he raps.

Speaking on the topic of his new song and visual, Token, whom XXL profiled for The Break last year, explained that social media dependence is something he's used to seeing a lot of.

“I’ve seen so many girls that I grew up with turn to social media for acceptance and attention," he said of the video, which is a part of a video trilogy that includes his previously released "Code Red" visual. "It’s like, when you have insecurity problems or something traumatic happens in life, these 'likes' on social media turn into an emotional crutch; the more you get, the more loved you think you are.”

Watch the video for "One Like Equals" for yourself below.

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