"It appears that one of social media’s worst symptoms is depriving us of our individuality, and more significantly, the confidence to embrace ourselves." Yes to this! And to the whole post!
Even as someone who doesn't do socials (Substack is it at this point), everything in your piece still rang true. It's made me realise a bit better that so much of this attitude is generally/ increasingly part of our lives, and how social media turns it up to 11 before churning it back out into other media forms.
I can't remember where I've picked up this phrase but it's something like "external items won't fix internal problems". If I have an urge to buy something this helps me figure out if I really need it or if I actually need to have a little sit down and journal. I could go on and on but I'll stop there! 💛
100%, I think social media is guilty of making it seem like we should all be the same.
I'm writing that quote down, that's so good. And so relevant!! I'm constantly expecting a new pair of shoes or a handbag to fix my problems and turn my life around. Apparently that's not how it works! 😂
Ella this is SO GOOD. Your deep dives (like Barbie + Betty too!) are so well written and thought out. I feel the same way about so many things. I dabbled in influencer life for about a year during the pandemic (of course, lol) and being on the back end of things like LTK is WILD. It’s constantly pushing products and trends, and affiliate commissions are literal pennies. It’s impossible if you don’t have a massive audience. I was also in the home space, which was challenging too. I felt like I needed to buy more stuff to keep up, and it was a vicious cycle. Thank you for sharing!! 🤍
Ooh all of this from the influencer pov would be sooo interesting!! I feel like there's very little info from behind the scenes of influencing. I always wonder what the reality of it is like - surely after a while the novelty of getting free stuff wears off, especially for bigger influencers who get sooo much stuff all the time. What if you don't like it?! What do you do with it all?! Thank you so much for reading it Kristen, and for your lovely comment as always!! 🫶🏻
"It’s almost a form of procrastination, waiting for my new purchase to arrive before I can take action towards my goals." - oh how I feel this. I am she.
Ughhh Ella this is SUCH a good read!!! I actually had a similar post idea I wanted to write at some point but you've literally covered everything!
Since coming off socials (except Substack/YT/Pinterest) I've noticed a massive difference in my consumption habits. I'm not a huge shopper anyway but it's become so clear just how much my purchasing decisions were dictated by trends/celebs/influencers.
Here's to less consumption and more getting to know our own personalities, without the restrictions of aesthetics 🥂
Thanks Soph!!!! I’m SO chuffed you like it - you should definitely write something, there was so much more I could have said and I’d love to hear your take. Deffo a conversation that needs to be had more and more loudly too! Me too, I’ve found especially since coming off TikTok’s I miss so many of these micro trends and it does amaze me to think how much money I’m saving simply by not indulging myself in the app. So grateful for your lovely comment 🩵🩵🩵🩵
So many amazing points made here and so much I could say but I would be here for ages! I too feel that pressure of wanting what is being promoted on social media. At the moment it’s those Rhode blushes - specially toasted teddy I think? They are everywhere!!! But I think, if this wasn’t promoted on social media, and in different packaging let’s say E.L.F for example I would never consider buying it!! But I get hooked in by these influencers and so many of the same video that it makes you feel you need it! This piece is so so good and covered all of those thoughts!! 💖
Yes! And rhode’s marketing is so clever too, especially the phone case?! That went crazy. And using Hailey Bieber too, she has so much influence that the brand is almost guaranteed to do well because it’s like if you buy this lip mask or this serum, you’re going to look like her. Thanks for your comment Ciara 💗💗
I am so honoured that I was the inspiration for this fantastic piece! I LOVED your reflections on the various TikTok trends that do the rounds and how they are slowly replacing or even eroding our individual identities - I personally feel completely overwhelmed by how much stuff we're always being told we need, right now, this second, before it's gone. Thank you for reminding us all that it's OK to be slow and not always click through to checkout the second that marketing email lands in your inbox - if it's gone after a few days, maybe it just wasn't meant for you.
Yay Lauren I'm so happy you liked it!!!! I know, it's turned shopping into a special treat activity to a pressure induced guilt-fest. Unsubscribing from mailing lists has been the best thing I did last month, all the discounts and new launches are just too much! Totally inspired by your no-spend summer, only buying what we really need or things that have been thoroughly considered on our wish lists <3
This was SO good and such a good summary of how I’ve been feeling! Thank you so much for writing such a thoughtful piece ❤️ it really feels so exhausting to keep up these days and I also thought it was fun at the beginning!
I loved your last paragraph about finding identity. I also read this one piece saying it’s about finding community- how overconsumption has become a solution to isolation, and buying these things makes us feel part of something bigger. Curious if you agree!
That's so funny, I was just drafting another piece about the same sort of thing! Yes, I do agree that these micro trends are a way for us to form a sort of community online. I think especially if your interests are maybe a bit niche or you don't know many people around you with similar interests, the online sphere is like an immediate way to find and connect with people who you resonate with. Like I said with Molly Mae's jacket for example, we might feel a bit alone in our every day lives but we buy this jacket and suddenly we have something in common with our favourite influencer or the girl in our lecture or whoever it may be. Gaining these material objects helps us to find our people in a really bizarre way. When I was growing up it was those EOS egg lip balm things! I'm curious to know what you think too.
Thank you so much for subscribing!! So good to have you here, I hope you enjoy the posts I have coming up 💙
I like to think if something's not there when I go back then the universe has decided it wouldn't suit me anyway 😂 from one shopaholic to another, I feel your struggle & we've got this 🫶🏻 thank you for reading Madeline!!
"It appears that one of social media’s worst symptoms is depriving us of our individuality, and more significantly, the confidence to embrace ourselves." Yes to this! And to the whole post!
Even as someone who doesn't do socials (Substack is it at this point), everything in your piece still rang true. It's made me realise a bit better that so much of this attitude is generally/ increasingly part of our lives, and how social media turns it up to 11 before churning it back out into other media forms.
I can't remember where I've picked up this phrase but it's something like "external items won't fix internal problems". If I have an urge to buy something this helps me figure out if I really need it or if I actually need to have a little sit down and journal. I could go on and on but I'll stop there! 💛
Thank you Florentyna! 🫶🏻 I'm glad you liked it!!!
100%, I think social media is guilty of making it seem like we should all be the same.
I'm writing that quote down, that's so good. And so relevant!! I'm constantly expecting a new pair of shoes or a handbag to fix my problems and turn my life around. Apparently that's not how it works! 😂
Ella this is SO GOOD. Your deep dives (like Barbie + Betty too!) are so well written and thought out. I feel the same way about so many things. I dabbled in influencer life for about a year during the pandemic (of course, lol) and being on the back end of things like LTK is WILD. It’s constantly pushing products and trends, and affiliate commissions are literal pennies. It’s impossible if you don’t have a massive audience. I was also in the home space, which was challenging too. I felt like I needed to buy more stuff to keep up, and it was a vicious cycle. Thank you for sharing!! 🤍
Ooh all of this from the influencer pov would be sooo interesting!! I feel like there's very little info from behind the scenes of influencing. I always wonder what the reality of it is like - surely after a while the novelty of getting free stuff wears off, especially for bigger influencers who get sooo much stuff all the time. What if you don't like it?! What do you do with it all?! Thank you so much for reading it Kristen, and for your lovely comment as always!! 🫶🏻
"It’s almost a form of procrastination, waiting for my new purchase to arrive before I can take action towards my goals." - oh how I feel this. I am she.
We're in this together Jessica 🤝
Ughhh Ella this is SUCH a good read!!! I actually had a similar post idea I wanted to write at some point but you've literally covered everything!
Since coming off socials (except Substack/YT/Pinterest) I've noticed a massive difference in my consumption habits. I'm not a huge shopper anyway but it's become so clear just how much my purchasing decisions were dictated by trends/celebs/influencers.
Here's to less consumption and more getting to know our own personalities, without the restrictions of aesthetics 🥂
Thanks Soph!!!! I’m SO chuffed you like it - you should definitely write something, there was so much more I could have said and I’d love to hear your take. Deffo a conversation that needs to be had more and more loudly too! Me too, I’ve found especially since coming off TikTok’s I miss so many of these micro trends and it does amaze me to think how much money I’m saving simply by not indulging myself in the app. So grateful for your lovely comment 🩵🩵🩵🩵
So many amazing points made here and so much I could say but I would be here for ages! I too feel that pressure of wanting what is being promoted on social media. At the moment it’s those Rhode blushes - specially toasted teddy I think? They are everywhere!!! But I think, if this wasn’t promoted on social media, and in different packaging let’s say E.L.F for example I would never consider buying it!! But I get hooked in by these influencers and so many of the same video that it makes you feel you need it! This piece is so so good and covered all of those thoughts!! 💖
Yes! And rhode’s marketing is so clever too, especially the phone case?! That went crazy. And using Hailey Bieber too, she has so much influence that the brand is almost guaranteed to do well because it’s like if you buy this lip mask or this serum, you’re going to look like her. Thanks for your comment Ciara 💗💗
I am so honoured that I was the inspiration for this fantastic piece! I LOVED your reflections on the various TikTok trends that do the rounds and how they are slowly replacing or even eroding our individual identities - I personally feel completely overwhelmed by how much stuff we're always being told we need, right now, this second, before it's gone. Thank you for reminding us all that it's OK to be slow and not always click through to checkout the second that marketing email lands in your inbox - if it's gone after a few days, maybe it just wasn't meant for you.
Yay Lauren I'm so happy you liked it!!!! I know, it's turned shopping into a special treat activity to a pressure induced guilt-fest. Unsubscribing from mailing lists has been the best thing I did last month, all the discounts and new launches are just too much! Totally inspired by your no-spend summer, only buying what we really need or things that have been thoroughly considered on our wish lists <3
This was SO good and such a good summary of how I’ve been feeling! Thank you so much for writing such a thoughtful piece ❤️ it really feels so exhausting to keep up these days and I also thought it was fun at the beginning!
I loved your last paragraph about finding identity. I also read this one piece saying it’s about finding community- how overconsumption has become a solution to isolation, and buying these things makes us feel part of something bigger. Curious if you agree!
Great work though and just subscribed ❤️
Thank you so much Krish!
That's so funny, I was just drafting another piece about the same sort of thing! Yes, I do agree that these micro trends are a way for us to form a sort of community online. I think especially if your interests are maybe a bit niche or you don't know many people around you with similar interests, the online sphere is like an immediate way to find and connect with people who you resonate with. Like I said with Molly Mae's jacket for example, we might feel a bit alone in our every day lives but we buy this jacket and suddenly we have something in common with our favourite influencer or the girl in our lecture or whoever it may be. Gaining these material objects helps us to find our people in a really bizarre way. When I was growing up it was those EOS egg lip balm things! I'm curious to know what you think too.
Thank you so much for subscribing!! So good to have you here, I hope you enjoy the posts I have coming up 💙
I like to think if something's not there when I go back then the universe has decided it wouldn't suit me anyway 😂 from one shopaholic to another, I feel your struggle & we've got this 🫶🏻 thank you for reading Madeline!!