#thinky stuff

Then I got on instagram and saw latte recipes reels. And now, I want coffee. I think it really shows how reels and social media in general can be so insidious in their negative impact on our lives.

Yes, it "felt good" to watch the reels: the lattes looked delicious, I was extcited at the idea of trying those drinks... The algorithm is literally showing them to me because I like what I see! But now, I'm just left craving something that I literally did not want 10mn ago, that I did not want to want, and that I definitely don't need- in fact my body probably could use the caffein break.

(Maybe I could even venture into saying my body "knew" it needs a break from caffein, since the thought of coffee was literally unappealing until I was exposed to ~sexy lattes~ videos...)

So now, I have two options. I can give into this induced craving, and make myself a coffee that I know won't make me feel better in the long run- it's been fucking with my sleep, increases my sugar intake and I think makes me feel bloated. Or, I can be steadfast in my decision to not have coffee today- but now, it feels slightly frustrating, when it literally felt great earlier.

The reels turned something that felt nice and effortless into a feeling of deprivation. Literally pushing me to consume more than I naturally wanted or needed.

And I feel like social media is doing that with basically everything in our lives, but it's so pervasive that you might not even realize it. You think it's giving you inspiration or harmlesss entertainment or food for thoughts, but what it really does is taint everything in your life, make it feel less fulfilling. Less enough. Less than.

I'm saving a bunch of those reels thinking I might try the recipe later- but I know I'll never use them. The algorithm is showing me countless new ones everyday anyway, too many for my brain to keep up with. Again, it can feel exciting in the moment, but in reality, it comes down to nothing. Just less space to actually interact with my lived reality, less enjoyment of what I actually have, less getting creative with it.