aesthetics & complacency

The aesthetification of lifestyles is something that short-form and visuals-based content has really made rampant.

I look around me and see punks who order their outfits pre-made off Shein, "dark academics" who haven't read a book since fifth grade, and kids who listen to country music behind the fanciest white picket fences of the suburbs. Yes, there are always excuses: shein is cheap, schoolwork is hard, and you can't control the family you were born into. I have some of my own excuses, too. Every month or so, I succumb to buying a guilt-filled Starbucks coffee, or I need something for school that I order off Amazon. I don't read every day, despite loving literature and reading. I sometimes hesistate to share my beliefs. Trying to be perfect is futile.

But, I actively try, every day, to change. I have free will, the privilege of agency, and a wish to live differently. I, now, buy much less Starbucks coffee, and fewer things off Amazon, than I did a year ago. Last weekend, my friends and I convinced our parents to let us go to our first-ever protest. I read or journal or blog or talk to people whenever I have the energy to, to replace doomscrolling. I try to actually live what I believe, instead of focusing on superficial aesthetic "identities" that don't actually mean anything to me. I'm not perfect, probably not even good; I should definitely be more active about my beliefs. But, that's my point. For my generation, who was raised on addictive algorithms and mobile games, I'm doing better than most. And that scares me.

Every generation is complacent, but modern social media is making that much worse.

Like I said, aesthetics, from my point of view, are a major part of the internet. When you see a youtube video, from the thumbnail, you know what to expect: is it elegantly minimalist or uniquely maximalist, an intellectual video essay or a quirky shitpost, clean girl or grunge; there are a million ways to do it, but it has to look cool. If a person spends all day consuming aesthetics-based content on a tiny screen, soon they start to forget about what actually makes us human (which is meaning, for me). A.I. is making this even worse by degrading ppls' critical thinking skills, but that's a whole other massive, complex issue that u can read up on...

In conclusion, join me & touch some grass for me, friends. lmk ur thoughts. 

alr i've said my piece, i'm logging off. <3