Story 14: “Unpacking social media’s unrealistic and harmful ‘productivity aesthetic'”
This article is written by Kelly McMahan and highlights the current trend on social media regarding productivity. On social media platforms such as TikTok and Youtube, there has been a recent increase in aesthetic videos where creators show their daily routines, often including unrealistic expectations as to what ones day should entail. These creators often show themselves waking up extremely early, using expensive products, and overall completing tasks that are unrealistic for the typical teenager or college student. McMahan points out that the true intention behind most of these videos comes from the need for our generation to prove that we are productive and leads to unhealthy comparisons and competitions. She also points out that social media is very deceptive and the formats of such videos often make these creators lifestyles seem much more organized than they most likely actually are. With another aspect of the trend revolving around aesthetics, it can lead the young audiences to believe that in order to be productive, you have to own all of the best products or live in a fancy/nice home. McMahan encourages our generation to keep in mind that most college students do not have the means to live the lives that these creators portray, and that you don’t need to follow in their exact footsteps to live a productive and practical lifestyle.
