4 ms·

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

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.
    - jimmywanger 10y ago
      > utterly beautiful with long list of people that would want to date them. You're arguing out of both sides of your mouth. You're saying that media constructs what "attractive" means for women, and now you're saying that "attractive" is something that is inherent to a woman irrespective of media pressure. Also, having a long list of people who want to date you does NOT means you'd be a good model. Models exist to make the product look good, not to look good themselves. A lot of fashion models are very skinny and tall because it makes the clothes they wear look good. > 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. You've basically just described all of advertising and marketing. It's not fraud or a scam - it just takes much more hard work than they show. They're not deliberately lying, they're just leaving out parts of it. Just like programming is a good job with high pay except you have to spend a lot of time learning it and working hard to get the good job with high pay.
      - nickpsecurity 10y ago
        "You're arguing out of both sides of your mouth. You're saying that media constructs what "attractive" means for women, and now you're saying that "attractive" is something that is inherent to a woman irrespective of media pressure." You're pretending all people act the same to accuse me of some false argument. Some people will follow what the media says a lot, some a bit, and some not at all. The fact that local + some remote people thought those women were beautiful doesn't change the fact that media were trying to say otherwise and shove a specific profile in people's faces. " It's not fraud or a scam" It really is if it's dishonest to get people's money. There's legal and illegal scams, though. ;)
Neliquat 10y ago
Part of the failure, in my eyes, IS not buying into it. They know their profession is 'faking it'. Living a life you actually embody seems inherently more fufilling to me, having been on both sides of the phenomenon.
smacktoward 10y ago
But how much control do you really have over your life, if your life is all about going to places your followers want you to go and striking poses your followers want to see you strike?

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.
  - jimmywanger 10y ago
    > utterly beautiful with long list of people that would want to date them. You're arguing out of both sides of your mouth. You're saying that media constructs what "attractive" means for women, and now you're saying that "attractive" is something that is inherent to a woman irrespective of media pressure. Also, having a long list of people who want to date you does NOT means you'd be a good model. Models exist to make the product look good, not to look good themselves. A lot of fashion models are very skinny and tall because it makes the clothes they wear look good. > 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. You've basically just described all of advertising and marketing. It's not fraud or a scam - it just takes much more hard work than they show. They're not deliberately lying, they're just leaving out parts of it. Just like programming is a good job with high pay except you have to spend a lot of time learning it and working hard to get the good job with high pay.
    - nickpsecurity 10y ago
      "You're arguing out of both sides of your mouth. You're saying that media constructs what "attractive" means for women, and now you're saying that "attractive" is something that is inherent to a woman irrespective of media pressure." You're pretending all people act the same to accuse me of some false argument. Some people will follow what the media says a lot, some a bit, and some not at all. The fact that local + some remote people thought those women were beautiful doesn't change the fact that media were trying to say otherwise and shove a specific profile in people's faces. " It's not fraud or a scam" It really is if it's dishonest to get people's money. There's legal and illegal scams, though. ;)

Neliquat 10y ago

Part of the failure, in my eyes, IS not buying into it. They know their profession is 'faking it'. Living a life you actually embody seems inherently more fufilling to me, having been on both sides of the phenomenon.

smacktoward 10y ago

But how much control do you really have over your life, if your life is all about going to places your followers want you to go and striking poses your followers want to see you strike?