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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   3484 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for January 13, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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What does Instagram specifically add to it? I also like to have pictures of what I do for my hobbies, but they are saved offline, and I would add them to my website if I wanted to share them. By the way I'm genuinely curious and this is not a snark, it's obvious that when something that millions of people do baffles me there is a problem with my mental model of it.

I used to be of this opinion, until my community got spread across multiple continents. Instagram to me, is the least toxic social media platform that all my friends also use. A lot of us busy people who get forced into an 'out of sight, out of mind' sort of situation with friends. Instagram keeps you 'in sight' and 'on their minds'. A small exchange every few months keeps ties for times when you want to crash at their places when you visit, need help with something specific or just plain want to share in their happiness. Community is the most important thing for me and Instagram with least-bad solution to the logistical difficulties of keeping that community intact.

As for why food, it is a few fold.

  1. I don't like playing into the insecurity enhancing parts of social media. I worry that putting my face, body, career or experiences on there will pull out insecurities that force me to engage in activities that I don't enjoy, but still do for the optics. Even if brag-worthy, me projecting how well I am doing with my body / dating / career would just make others insecure. The 3 things I put on Instagram : food, music, hikes are places where I find peer pressure to be healthy, and I don't think it injects any insecurity into my community.

  2. Food is also the easiest way to make conversation. My mom and I bond on food. My friends message me for recipes all the time. Some just comment with heart emojis. It is an insanely effective social lubricant

  3. In big social groups, it is important to have an 'elevator pitch / have a thing'. It just makes your dynamic with the rest of the group easier. On trips, I get restaurant finding duty. In house parties, I am the chef. Your "thing" also conveys stereotypes that come with it. "The food guy" conveys warmth, giving, altruism which are values that I both espouse and want to convey.

  4. I love it and my monkey brain wants everyone to know I love it.

The "normie" spends an inordinate amount of time on social media. Especially young, urban, and {pattern} ones. In the socio/cultural/psychological space, one's social media account is an extension of part of that person. It's "just how things are done".

Within those circles, people will infer a lot from your social media. Not having one can be a signal of something (usually insidious), etc.

It's very strange to think about if you aren't accustomed to it, but that's how it is.

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