against what's most popular across
the board and with other people
like you. The algorithms employed
by social networks are all slightly
different, but they tend to add up to
the same effect – you see more and
more of the things you've
previously seen, and the more you
interact with things you like, the
less opportunity you have to find
and interact with other things,
other ideas. It's an echo chamber,
where initially you find new ideas
and identities by sampling a
delightful smorgasbord of richer
and more beautiful posts than your
own, but eventually you enter into
a cycle which simply confirms and
re-confirms that message to which
you have already agreed, for
example, "wow, aren't floral print
shirts cool!?"
Be honest with yourself – when was
the last time you saw something
challenging on Instagram? When
was the last time you were blown
away by the boldness of an outfit,
or a location, or an aesthetic
ideology? I bet it was sort of never.
Because you follow a bunch of
accounts that know what you like
and know how to give it to you. And
if something somehow slips
through the net and you see
something that doesn't fit (whether
figuratively or literally) the
conditioned response is to
unfollow, or react negatively, or just
scroll on by to the next piece of
mock-shock tailoring with a
wrinkled nose and a disdain for
intellectual curiosity.
So here's a thought, and it's
something I think we should all do.
Find five or so accounts on Twitter,
Instagram, and any other networks
you use regularly, that you hate.
Five accounts that regularly post
material that makes you feel weird,
uncomfortable, even disturbed. If
you're a preppy, find a few urban or
hip-hop accounts. If you're pretty
scruffy, follow Joseph GordonLevitt. Whether it's just a style
you're so unfamiliar with it seems
alien and wrong, or something
within your world that seems so
ugly and transgressive as to be
point-blank bad, give them a good
honest try out for a few weeks. I bet
within a month they'll be some of
your favourite accounts. Comfort is
overrated.
Sleeves Magazine