That being said, is this content truly all bad? I’ve been watching lifestyle content since I was in seventh grade. I started off watching Bethany Mota and discovered more creators that made similar content from there. I consistently watched lifestyle videos with the goal of trying to be super productive. Young girls today are watching these videos which promote being ultra-productive. This can become harmful, especially when girls are younger because they shouldn’t have to worry about looking perfect while completing everyday tasks. But these videos suggest that you’re not good enough if you don’t. Add the additional layer of a lack of representation in this genre, and it then suggests that you must be white, skinny and wealthy if you wish to achieve this seemingly glamorous lifestyle. If you’re not, then you’re not worthy enough. At this point, I still enjoy lifestyle content: it often inspires me
on days where I know I have a lot to do but am not feeling motivated. I tend to tune out the productivity narrative all of these videos have in which they push being as productive as possible. I take these videos with a grain of salt. If I like the journal idea they have, I’ll translate it to my own journaling. If they get up early in the video, and if I’m feeling up to it, I’ll get up early too. Overall, I think it’s okay to watch these videos, but we have to be aware of the underlying messages some of them give out, regardless of whether the creators are conscious of it or not. We must remember that all forms of social media are highlight reels. They show us the best points of someone’s day. It’s completely fine to be productive and get your stuff together, but it’s also okay if you have days where you don’t feel like doing anything at all.
Mikayla Tolliver is a second-year writing major who knows the value of some rest and relaxation. They can be reached at mtolliver@ithaca.edu.
Being the “G.O.A.T” Society’s Pressure on Black Women Athletes // By Olivia Celenza, Contributing Writer
P
icture this: You’re a young female athlete and the pinnacle of greatness within your field. You have spent your life dreaming of success and working to leave your mark. Where all your hard work, dedication and sacrifice will finally amount to something as you step onto the world’s greatest athletic stage. Throughout history, you’ve known the Olympics stand as a beacon of hope, uniting countries and cultures from all across our vivid mosaic of a globe through the celebration of completion and sporting, and you desperately want to be a part of it. There is a suffocating amount of tension put on your shoulders to succeed. You MUST succeed. Failure is not an option as our society will praise you for your accomplishments yet chastise you for your shortcomings and failures. Not only must you be placed on a pedestal and treated as a machine, forced to continually perform at an unrealistically high level without regard to personal health or mental wellbeing, but you are also thrust into the spotlight, becoming the voice of the younger generations. Millions of eyes watching you at every waking moment of your life, ready to scrutinize your every word and action, no matter how insignificant it may seem, all while being expected to represent your country, your people and your sport with infallible excellence. But no pressure, right? Simone Biles. Over her extensive career, this powerhouse of a gymnast has twisted, vaulted and soared into America’s heart, becoming a household name and one of gymnastics’ most decorated Olympians. She began making a name for herself in 2013 where she won
her first U.S all around title. Following her victory, Biles went on to compete at World Championships, where she has now claimed 25 medals, 19 of them gold, more than any other gymnast in history. After asserting her dominance in the gymnastics world, Biles led the U.S. gymnast team to triumph at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and went on to win three more golds and a bronze. All the while being one of the hundreds of gymnasts assaulted by Larry Nassar, who's still on trial to this day. With a growing collection of medals, world renown, and even namesake skills, the world was waiting in eager anticipation to see what the G.O.A.T was going to bring to the Tokyo Olympics. However, when Biles withdrew in the height of competition, due to emotional exhaustion that was hindering her ability to perform, the world collectively gasped, unable to comprehend the fact that a top athlete made the conscious choice to step away from the peak of an event, especially the Olympics. And yet, in a way, it made perfect sense. Biles was saying “no” to the gargantuan pressures, both psychological and physically, that an event of such magnitude demands. In a variety of ways, she’s lucky. As a champion both on and off the floor, she has already proven her superior talents, supported by a lengthy history of accolades. She had the option of exit. But she wasn’t stepping down just because she could or “quitting” because things got hard. “There’s more to life than gymnastics,” Biles said to reporters after her withdraw as she placed mental health at the forefront of the conversation. Of course while Biles normalized the topic, we cannot ignore
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