PERFORMANCE PASSION

 

Be honest. Has social media ever pushed you to book a yoga class and eat more protein or have you looked over at an influencer suddenly wanting to have their aesthetic yourself? How nice it must be to be a matcha girlie who starts her mornings with Pilates or the fitness influencer having your dream physique with the sponsorships from your favourite protein powder brand or maybe the ones living your y2k closet dream. This concept of having a passion or a hobby is recently seen rising among the influencers. The ones who once sold you the idea of being basic and clean now strive for a personality to stand out and land on your foryou page in 2025.

And it's good to have something to do right? Clicking on a single pottery class ad might land you into a new group of friends or the various run clubs offering you support and an energy drink for free sounds like pure heaven. But what is the downside of this accessibility? Of not just opportunities but of life. What dos this peeking into someone else's life and daily routine does to your brain? Let’s explore.

 Do you remember the pre pandemic time when social media was full of makeup hauls and stationary haul videos. Morning routines looked and felt performative and there was a sense of distinction between them and real life. Fast forward to now when these influencers whether extremely rich or privileged create a life which is always better than an average person but with an alarming sense of relatability. This isn’t only limited to daily routines but finds its way to hobbies as well.

Since my childhood I have been a fan of journaling and I remember watching Ella Elbells in around 2020 fascinated by her stationary collections. And it worked, it coaxed me into buying new fancy journals (p.s: I had more than enough already) and gradually what was a hobby which felt authentic became performative and soon I saw everyone journaling for 5 minutes and the charm was long gone.

So what is the point then? Should you sit and stare into oblivion to be different than others? 

Honestly the only advice i have for you is to do you. If you are holding onto anything which does not give you joy and is purely for the performance, maybe its time to move onto something better. Make sure your 5 to 9 is no similar to your 9 to 5. Be your own boss this time.