Infinite seats in the cafeteria: The conundrum of micro-labels
#003 edition of the newsletter (yes, I'm ashamed that it's been over a month)
This week we cover nonsensical micro-labels and identity for the main portion of the newsletter. We then cover, my love for decadent rap (Siri, play Diced Pineapples by Rick Ross) and a married man embarrassing himself (and consequently his wife) on Twitter by getting involved in young girl business!
Infinite seats in the cafeteria: The conundrum with micro labels
The high school table classification is getting more complicated as new micro-labels rapidly populate. Would soft girls and warm girls sit at the same table? Things are becoming nonsensical and convoluted as people create extremely niche labels. Is this simply an illustration of our urge to belong and attach to something definitive, or is it just contrived trendy internet mess?
Pick an aesthetic, any aesthetic! There are Pinterest guides, TikTok how-to-videos and Twitter threads with meticulous instructions on how to ‘effortlessly’ become whatever ultra-specific aesthetic you want to be. How to be a ‘soft girl’, ‘it girl’ or ‘[insert random adjective] girl’. I don’t mean to severely shit on this, because a lot of us owe a meaningful portion of our personality to the internet. Extensive guides may not have been a thing I interacted with when I was younger or now, but, I certainly copied people I saw on Tumblr or Instagram whose style/personality or even who they attracted appealed to me. My hype beast HBA and Supreme era is now a time that gives me cold sweats. Labels and cliquey self-descriptors aren’t new. What’s rather unique in this new era, is that we’ve shifted from the classic cafeteria lunch table labels (see: the mean girls lunch room scene) to this strange hyper specificity. Where’s the middle ground? Thanks to TikTok, a new micro-label or rather a new character to cosplay as crops up frequently. A primary issue with these ultra-detailed labels is that they demand so much prescriptiveness to those who ascribe to them and no room for experimentation. It begs the question, is there even a person to whom this is entirely applicable too? Creator, @attemptedsoc, mentions her personal experience with identifying so strongly to being a ‘man eater’ resulting in her suppressing her genuine feelings for men because it didn’t ‘suit [her] character’.
A natural consequence of most tropes or labels that become widely popular on social media, is that they die quickly. Rendering the new wardrobe you bought to satisfy a particular micro-label, uninspiring and old news. Encouraging good ole’ over-consumerism.
Experimentation is incredibly vital, especially in your formative years. Micro-labels and trends arguably don’t foster authentic experimentation. Algorithms push one idea, shelve it, and then move on to the next. It’s encroaching and forces you to contort your identity at an unnatural pace.
You’re sixteen and you’ve decided to ascribe to ‘Scandi girl autumn’ (yes, it’s a thing and I’m into it) then before you know it, your favourite influencer has moved on to pushing something else on your fyp. When I was younger, trends also experienced a predictable rise and fall, but now it happens rapidly.
A research participant, in Annette Markham’s 2013 study ‘The Algorithmic Self: Layered Accounts of Life and Identity in the 21st Century’, makes a resounding point that relates to this discussion.
“[I feel] betrayed by an interface that appears to give so many choices on the surface, while limiting almost every bit of our creative endeavour to the pre-defined and pre-packaged boxes and categories within which we’re supposed to find a place.”
The participant’s frustration towards social media interfaces, and their faux appearance of choice relates to the frustration with the endless amount of micro labels/aesthetics in the digital sphere. They seem to provide so much choice at the onset but are incredibly limiting unless you’re a staunch devotee.
Another critique of the prescriptivism is that the girls are losing recipes and the essence of core concepts. Social commentator, @fataleambition’s video ‘RIP To The It Girl’ unpacks this excellently. She discusses how this obsessive focus on ‘how to be an ‘it’ girl’ is killing the notion and whatever we once thought that title meant.
“If everybody is doing and following the same guidelines, playing by the same rules, who is doing ‘it’?” - @fataleambition
There’s no distinctiveness or edge if we are all subscribing to the same rhetoric. What makes Rihanna,‘it’, is that there are not a million Rihannas. The deep irony of attempting to be unique or effortless whilst following a manual ought to be sobering.
If not adhered to blindly, micro labels can be a great starting point in putting words to the things that appeal to you, from lifestyle choices to personal style. Treating it as a blueprint, that is to be followed microscopically, or getting caught in the restless trap of niche labels that are essentially redundant is where things get weird. So friends, take heed, unclench and have fun.
Playlist of the week: Decadent rap
Inspired by one of my favourite creators, Derrick Gee video on the era of decadent rap. Here’s some of my favourite decadent rap moments. Picture cigars, chandeliers and too much bravado.
Stop The Madness: Husbands who embarrass you on twitter
Hot off the press!
