Algorithms and Aesthetics – Honor B
The constant quest to construct the perfect persona is something that has infected all of my social media. Recently, a wave of people have formed that have become obsessed with the idea of fitting themself into boxes that didn’t exist even 5 years ago; labelling themselves with aesthetics.
The desire to try and encapsulate everything that interests you, from what you wear, the books that you read, the music that you listen to, and to some extent the type of person that you are with a singular word or phrase is a concept that seems quite strange. The majority of TikTok would tend to disagree, even if they do not realise it. By this point we are all aware that the type of content we interact with-whether it be positively or negatively-forms an algorithm that then controls the content that we see, as well as this, the people that interact with the same sort of content that we do is fed the same content in return.
This creates sub-sections of the internet, that in turn, cause people to discover the same type of music, simultaneously with fashion, art, literature, and thoughts. This is what underpins the formation of an aesthetic, where a group of people start to like the same everything. Subcultures have always existed, but it feels like social media has intensified them to the point where people are losing individuality.
Micro-trends don’t give people enough time to figure out whether they are interested in the things that algorithms are forcing down them, or if liking these things is a performative act. This isn’t to blame people who become obsessed with an Aesthetic, because social media is now set up in a way that culture is recycled rapidly, and what was seen as chic in January, can become trashy and cringe in February. People can start to question if they are the odd one out, any less intelligent, or tasteless if they don’t appreciate the same things that everybody else seems to, when in reality this is not the case.
So, how de we escape this cycle of fitting ourself into labels that seemingly expire in a moment? The only way is to think critically about the content that you consume, and to make up your own mind on if you enjoy the things that it appears everybody else does. In truth, perhaps they don’t like matcha, or Lana del Rey, or Pilates isn’t their favourite form of exercise; but like so many people on the internet, they have been absorbing an algorithm that convinces them that deviating from these things would estrange them.
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