Rant: Influencers

Some hot takes first - No food is to die for. No restaurant is worth waiting 4 months to get a table. Nothing is worth standing for an hour in a queue.

The people who say such things and peddle this shit are signalling that they have better taste and better access than you. Most of them don’t. They just want you to believe it. They want to sell you something.

We should trust influencers with a better vocabulary. Those who

• Describe the food in terms of its flavours, textures, form, and presentation.

• Don’t tell me it is to die for. 

• Tell me why they enjoyed the experience so much and what stood out for them.

Today we come across a hundred people who hype up random experiences like a poha on the roadside, or a wada pav that will take your breath away (Yes, by giving you a heart attack!). And our primitive brain craves the same experience. We unknowingly raise the stakes everywhere. We start placing too much premium on these experiences. Nothing can satisfy you then. 

Say fuck you to this influenza of influencers trying to manipulate you into liking their posts so that they can sell you more stuff. Understand this phenomenon for what it is - advertising. Every reel you see is an advertisement, yes even the one without the sponsored label. The creator is selling something.

The irony is not lost on me. I try to do the same for the stuff I build. I will try to do better.