FILTER

face will light up your screen. In the grand scheme of things, it’s small, but, for many, it’s an escape. No longer do you have to confront the stacks of science textbooks and math homework on your desk. No longer do you have to sit in blaring silence alone because your friends were too busy to go out.

Instead, you can live vicariously through content creators and their extravagant escapades to upper-crust parties and exclusive events or laid-back routine grocery runs.

Earle’s comment section, for one, is brimming with users that resonate with her, whether it be sharing a favorite blush or getting ready to go out and try Hailey Bieber’s strawberry Erewhon smoothie.

These momentary excursions away from the stress and weight of the real world not only unite social media users beneath tried-and-true favorites or special activities, but also facilitate a personable relationship. To hide beneath an audacious make-up routine or outfit is common, but Get Ready With Me strips the layers back and illuminates an unfiltered image of the creator and their lifestyle. One that’s relatable, intimate and inspiring—grocery runs, New Year’s Eve parties and all. However, I can’t help but feel a semblance of resignation when scrolling now. Sure, they began as fun and inviting, but in the mess of these supposed- ly realistic routines are shreds of individualism.

As more and more creators begin to explore the video style and showcase their skincare/ makeup repertoire, it is clear that almost everyone is starting to use the same products, love the same col ors, wear the same pieces and shed the nuances and details that make us human. While the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is luscious in its application and moisturizing in its formulation or the Lu lulemon Belt Bag is a versatile yet stylish piece, it is harmful that those who do not partake in the trends propagated by these videos can feel less-than.

Some of Earle’s aforementioned comment section even deem the classic Get Ready With Me as, to a degree, dystopian in nature. The fictitious sense of perfection makes everybody want to be, in short, the same.

People often look to Gen Z as a hub for individualism, but Get Ready With Me is functionally the antithesis. It is a culmination of trends writ large that are multiplied and amplified with each 60-second video.

It is implausible to think that the influencers popularizing the video are authentic and real, especially when so much of their lives is filtered. This internal dilemma is what catalyzes my contention. It starts with a laugh or smile when watching a

TikTok, but quickly can evolve into self-doubt, comparison and a dwindling self-esteem.

What’s worse?

According to Andrea Cheng of Refinery 29, 81% of girls compare the way that they look in photos to those of their closest friends. In a world in which young, impressionable minds perceive relationships – marked by proximity – between themselves and influencers, they are far more likely to compare themselves to the guise of authenticity portrayed by the standard Get Ready With Me. Compare themselves to what is a picture-perfect, tailored image of what life ought to look like.

The picture-perfect image served on a silver platter in cosm of the world can enjoy a $9 glorified smoothie and apply an excessive amount of YSL concealer and foundation every morning. It sounds outlandish, I know.

But, there are creators whose entire platforms subsist on romanticizing opulence, as a result fueling comparison and self-doubt.

In the spiral of TikToks, Reels and Shorts, the standard Get Ready With Me is turning society into a big, fat we, one without the quirks and nuances that previously defined humanity.