Favr TownThat's how I feel as an Instagram follower - keep winking with all the likes or flirts "Yummm!", "That looks so good!!" or emojis, but never getting a glance back from those I'm following. Yes I know, they are busy businesses, big brands, and famous celebrities - people much more important and taller than me. There is no better place than social media to make me feel more trivial.
After a period of self-pity and resentment, I developed a self-defense mechanism. First, they are not getting more than a cheap flirt from me. No purchases. No "Go Fund Me" donations. No sharing their posts with friends (why would I want to spread my sourness around?).
Second, I use it for my own free entertainment. It's like the monkey in the zoo situation. Between the monkey and the human, who is entertaining who? That makes me feel taller, maybe even on the same level as those at the center of the stage.
Third, I feel superior because I'm in the dark watching while they perform in the light. I know everything about them but they don't know anything about me. I'm the one who holds all the cards due to the information asymmetry.
Last but not least, I don't get attached. They moment they try to monetize from me, like representing some third-party products, I stop sending likes. When their performance loses novelty, I cut ties and switch to someone else.
Thanks to my defense mechanism, I like social media and myself again. It's a perfect dating market for no-strings-attached relationships. Once the music stops, we all go back to our own homes. No obligations. Not even an afterthought.
So the answer is, I'll keep winking as long as the performance keeps going for free. After all, I'm not the mouse trapped in a wheel like the performer, tirelessly churning out content on social media.
I'm very worried though, that one day a performer will recognize me and call me by name. That would be disastrous for my wallet.
