Cringeworthy trends are always on the horizon, and sadly, for millennials, a lot of the latest awful trends have to do with dating. I’ve been sick of these silly dating trends for a while, but this next one actually makes me cringe solely upon hearing its name.“Gatsbying.” Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Leonardo DiCaprio!?” Sadly, that’s not what this is about. I know, I’m as disappointed as you are.
Gatsbying is when you throw lavish parties in hopes of attracting the person you desire (like Jay Gatsby from “The Great Gatsby). But, instead of actual parties (because let’s be real, that totally isn’t realistic in today’s standards), it’s throwing a digital party by sharing lavish social media posts and hoping your “bae” will see them.
Romantic, right?
Model Matilda Dods first used this term in a piece for TomBoyBeauty.com, and described it as posting “a video, picture, or selfie to public social media purely for a love interest to see…”
It’s not that this trend is horrible like the rest, because it’s not leading anyone on, manipulating them, or just being mean. It’s a small mind game that you’re only playing with yourself. Unless you specifically use words to make a move on the person (whether in-person or via text), how would the other person get that you’re trying to get their attention? Isn’t speaking easier?
You’re basically hoping that your love interest might see you and might slide into your DMs. This is all about chance, and unless Instagram is chronologically on your side, your crush may not even see you. Believe it or not, this trend is actually more common than you think. Sure, there’s nothing like hoping your crush might see your Snapchat story because you posted a good picture specifically in case they see it. But, this is next-level. Specifically creating content just to impress your crush in case they may see it is so huge!
Plus, how can people maintain this high level of class? Do you really dress in top designer brands every day? Do you really think that pretending to have money and class will attract the person you want? And, how can you keep travelling to all of these exotic places to get these bomb Instagram pictures? Surely once you get the person you want, this won’t continue, so why fabricate it now?
In my opinion, if you are really that interested in someone, you should speak up and not play it coy on social media. Chances are, the person you are Gatsbying won’t even realize that they are the reason why you are doing this.
I’m sure the reason why this trend is also getting the name “Gatsbying” is your quest for love will probably end in disaster just like Jay Gatsby’s did. So, don’t be surprised if this strategy isn’t successful for you.
Stick with communicating clearly to get your message across to your crush and show them the real you. If you don’t, they may be disappointed when they find out you really don’t travel 4 times a year and have a Lexus after all.
Featured image via Logan Weaver on Unsplash
Aw Meryl, different years, different travel schedules, sweetie