I really like watching commentary videos about social media trends. Like, I guess people are going crazy making "boo baskets" for their friends and loved ones.
It’s fun to see just how uncreative people can be.
It went from people making personalized baskets for particular people in their lives, to people paying other people to come and decorate their houses in "fall fashion." And they order premade boo baskets online, showing that they love their loved ones so much that they outsource the personalization to a stranger!
It’s hilarious.
Someone went out of their way to put a lot of thought and care into making the first boo basket. People saw it online and were like "That’s so amazing and clever. I want to do that." And from there it ends up being an orgy of overconsumption.
People are spending $1000 on a basket. $1000!
For what?
Crap.
And then when all the economic bubbles start really popping, those people are going to be regretting that they spent all that money they could have saved and used for things they actually needed.
I’m sorry, but the resale value of painted foam ghost statues is next to nothing. It’s definitely not worth the $40 you spent.
I like the idea of making a basket of nice things for someone you care about. I like the idea of someone putting real thought and care into making something that’s intended for a particular person.
But when people go over the top with their basket stuffing and their holiday decorating and they’re just buying so much stuff?
It’s very tasteless.
And when you film yourself doing it and you’ve got those crazy eyes happening… I don’t think you’re creative. I think you have a serious spending problem.
Rather than leaning into trends that aren’t going to last very long, why not be more creative? Why not come up with your own style instead of just borrowing ideas from other people?
It’s not just the holiday overconsumption. Or the "decorating my dorm room" overconsumption. Or the "beige mom" thing.
It’s people lacking creativity and a sense of self.
If you don’t have your own personality and personal style… You should not be giving in to the lure of spending money to borrow someone else’s creativity.
Spend all that money finding your own vision. Your own point of view. Your own things that you can like and love and want to have and keep forever.
People are just filling landfills at this point.
Stop the overconsumption trends. It’s gross. And it doesn’t just damage the environment, it damages the human psyche.
And I think that’s what AI is too.
It’s people that lack the creative spirit to try making things for themselves. They are so afraid of being judged and found wanting, that they would rather outsource their personality to an unfeeling machine. One that is well-known for hallucinating and offering bad advice.
Humanity is in trouble. But individual people can at least try to save themselves and the people they care about.
Before it’s too late.
~Harper Kingsley
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Even before boo baskets came along, I used to think someone could buy really good summer sausage, aged cheeses, crackers, nuts &c and put them in a basket for a fraction of what those baskets from Swiss Colony or Figis cost.