5 ms·

I can't put my finger on it, but this phenomenon makes me profoundly sad for reasons I cannot fully elucidate. Maybe the notion of documenting the experince in

I can't put my finger on it, but this phenomenon makes me profoundly sad for reasons I cannot fully elucidate. Maybe the notion of documenting the experince in place of actually having the experince. Maybe the feeling of all these lost people, posing with all their money and might, for the acceptance of others, all based on a snapshot. Sure, it becomes a self-sustaining lifestyle if you do it "good enough", but where is the fun in that? I want to live a life I enjoy, not just project that image.

fredley 10y ago
I know what you mean. I think this caption hits the point home: > you can see the couple become better at tailoring the images to what their followers want. “They want to see Emily in a bikini, they want to see a sunflare, they want to see the van,” My partner and I have labelled this behaviour as living the "Instagram Lifestyle" - directing your life so that it looks, on social media, as if you're having the best life ever, rather than actually doing what you want regardless of how photogenic it is. Labelling it helps us (attempt to) avoid succumbing to it.
- _alexander 10y ago
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVZYiJKl1Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVZYiJKl1Y
  - nickpsecurity 10y ago
    That was great! Thanks for sharing it. Good spoof of the lifestyle. Now we need a good one for the playboy types who seem to effortlessly get piles of women and cool vehicles always doing just what they like. In reality, most I meet hide the enormous amount of time they waste plus huge costs. I love messing with them. One joked about a guy with no style that he should pay to get that guy a girl but wouldn't ever pay for sex himself. I pointed out he paid thousands extra for a car, parts, and detailing to get women. "What's the difference other than number of chicks and nights with them vs dollars spent? And how much time on those parts, stuff they like but you don't, and hanging out faking appreciation?" He didn't like me then lol. So, something like the video you posted but for those guys. Needs to capture each of the aspects above since they're the most common. And mockable.
  - emmelaich 10y ago
    Real good. Caption: Facebook can be depressing because everyone else's lives are better than yours... But are they really? By the HightonBros https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo5or9Rhz3X5b9qr-hd2-AQ/about https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo5or9Rhz3X5b9qr-hd2-AQ/abo...
- neaden 10y ago
  An important part too is that it all has to appear effortless. So we see in the article how much work went into getting that deal with Outsiders where 70 emails, a half hour photo session, which is then photoshopped all go into making a single post where they talk about how the whole experience has made them reconsider what work means. And of course it has to be published at 11:00 AM, since thats when engagement is the highest.
  - fredley 10y ago
    Quite. Not quite Stanford Duck syndrome, but something similar...
chatmasta 10y ago
Who says it's mutually exclusive?
noelwelsh 10y ago
I see it differently. Everyone needs money to live. If you can get that money doing something you find fun, having control over your life, and hanging out with people you like... as long as you don't buy into the image you're presenting it sounds like a great life to me. I feel sorry for the people who buy into the fake reality presented to them via Instagram, but that's a different issue.
- worldsayshi 10y ago
  Are you as an individual not responsible for your cultural impact at all?
  - pjc50 10y ago
    Yes, but the idea that someone posting pictures of themselves in a van is a negative cultural impact is kind of ludicrous.
    - mtberatwork 10y ago
      Posting pictures, writing a blog, etc of your trips/experiences is one thing, spending the entire day trying to capture the perfect pose, shot or moment in time to push a lifestyle brand is inauthentic.
    - coldtea 10y ago
      What's ludicrous about it? Especially since it's not just "someone posting pictures of themselves in a van", but promoting a certain untenable lifestyle, helping to sell more crap to people, faking experiences, and a whole lot more besides.
    - nickpsecurity 10y ago
      Yeah, I'm with coldtea here. This is very similar to the phenomenon where the "attractive" women in media were a specific type for a long time. Implication was others weren't or should look like them. All the fake experiences those media outlets pushed vs lower number many women experienced that were contrary made a lot of them think less of themselves or try to fake themselves into what "worked" (but was lies). I had similar trouble trying to get modeling agencies to take in women outside the fold who were utterly beautiful with long list of people that would want to date them. Not skinny enough, not tall enough, blah blah blah. The BS the vanlife people are promoting might do something similar. Even worse, them faking the difficulty and reward ratio on many people who might have never heard of such scams on social media might lead them to waste money on a van or loose real opportunities. This can actually damage people like other forms of fraud. So, I certainly discourage doing it or aiding those people in any way.
kimar 10y ago
I feel the same way. I think the article mostly describes the "travel porn" phenomenon which can also be found in a lot of "digital nomad" blogs: people making a living out of exhibiting a seemingly glamorous lifestyle. To me, that lifestyle is only attractive if it can be combined with other fulfilling activities and relationships - which might be in their case, but isn't conveyed through their social media image.

fredley 10y ago

I know what you mean. I think this caption hits the point home: > you can see the couple become better at tailoring the images to what their followers want. “They want to see Emily in a bikini, they want to see a sunflare, they want to see the van,” My partner and I have labelled this behaviour as living the "Instagram Lifestyle" - directing your life so that it looks, on social media, as if you're having the best life ever, rather than actually doing what you want regardless of how photogenic it is. Labelling it helps us (attempt to) avoid succumbing to it.

_alexander 10y ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVZYiJKl1Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVZYiJKl1Y
- nickpsecurity 10y ago
  That was great! Thanks for sharing it. Good spoof of the lifestyle. Now we need a good one for the playboy types who seem to effortlessly get piles of women and cool vehicles always doing just what they like. In reality, most I meet hide the enormous amount of time they waste plus huge costs. I love messing with them. One joked about a guy with no style that he should pay to get that guy a girl but wouldn't ever pay for sex himself. I pointed out he paid thousands extra for a car, parts, and detailing to get women. "What's the difference other than number of chicks and nights with them vs dollars spent? And how much time on those parts, stuff they like but you don't, and hanging out faking appreciation?" He didn't like me then lol. So, something like the video you posted but for those guys. Needs to capture each of the aspects above since they're the most common. And mockable.
- emmelaich 10y ago
  Real good. Caption: Facebook can be depressing because everyone else's lives are better than yours... But are they really? By the HightonBros https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo5or9Rhz3X5b9qr-hd2-AQ/about https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo5or9Rhz3X5b9qr-hd2-AQ/abo...
neaden 10y ago
An important part too is that it all has to appear effortless. So we see in the article how much work went into getting that deal with Outsiders where 70 emails, a half hour photo session, which is then photoshopped all go into making a single post where they talk about how the whole experience has made them reconsider what work means. And of course it has to be published at 11:00 AM, since thats when engagement is the highest.
- fredley 10y ago
  Quite. Not quite Stanford Duck syndrome, but something similar...

chatmasta 10y ago

Who says it's mutually exclusive?

noelwelsh 10y ago

I see it differently. Everyone needs money to live. If you can get that money doing something you find fun, having control over your life, and hanging out with people you like... as long as you don't buy into the image you're presenting it sounds like a great life to me. I feel sorry for the people who buy into the fake reality presented to them via Instagram, but that's a different issue.

worldsayshi 10y ago
Are you as an individual not responsible for your cultural impact at all?
- pjc50 10y ago
  Yes, but the idea that someone posting pictures of themselves in a van is a negative cultural impact is kind of ludicrous.
  - mtberatwork 10y ago
    Posting pictures, writing a blog, etc of your trips/experiences is one thing, spending the entire day trying to capture the perfect pose, shot or moment in time to push a lifestyle brand is inauthentic.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    What's ludicrous about it? Especially since it's not just "someone posting pictures of themselves in a van", but promoting a certain untenable lifestyle, helping to sell more crap to people, faking experiences, and a whole lot more besides.
  - nickpsecurity 10y ago
    Yeah, I'm with coldtea here. This is very similar to the phenomenon where the "attractive" women in media were a specific type for a long time. Implication was others weren't or should look like them. All the fake experiences those media outlets pushed vs lower number many women experienced that were contrary made a lot of them think less of themselves or try to fake themselves into what "worked" (but was lies). I had similar trouble trying to get modeling agencies to take in women outside the fold who were utterly beautiful with long list of people that would want to date them. Not skinny enough, not tall enough, blah blah blah. The BS the vanlife people are promoting might do something similar. Even worse, them faking the difficulty and reward ratio on many people who might have never heard of such scams on social media might lead them to waste money on a van or loose real opportunities. This can actually damage people like other forms of fraud. So, I certainly discourage doing it or aiding those people in any way.

kimar 10y ago

I feel the same way. I think the article mostly describes the "travel porn" phenomenon which can also be found in a lot of "digital nomad" blogs: people making a living out of exhibiting a seemingly glamorous lifestyle. To me, that lifestyle is only attractive if it can be combined with other fulfilling activities and relationships - which might be in their case, but isn't conveyed through their social media image.