Why whimsy should not be a consumer good
Engaging with social media is rarely time well spent. Doomscrolling is a notorious time-sucker, and the algorithm pushes you into little echo chambers. However, I can’t help but find many of the viral trends and buzzwords to be incredibly fascinating. They tell us so much about the way society operates and how we interact with new ideas.
Recently the word “whimsy” and the act of “whimsy-maxxing” became a seemingly harmless, viral trend. As a long time whimsy acolyte I found it fun at first, but as the trend continued it became increasingly irritating.
What bothered me was how quickly something as personal as whimsy became another thing to consume — an example of how our culture reduces personality to the products we buy.
Scarlett McGuinness’s wonderful article on whimsy from last semester is an example of its genuine presence. However, her perspective preceded whimsy’s virality. It was still a subtle movement. Then the term exploded across the internet. Now suddenly everything is whimsical and everyone is whimsy-maxxing.
According to TikTok, buying single-use gem stickers to put on your assorted single-use products like face masks or plastic coffee cups is somehow whimsical. Embracing whimsy is apparently a Shein haul. Marketers have picked up on this and started using the term to sell their products.
Yes, I am gatekeeping the words “whimsy” and “whimsical.”
Instant gratification is not whimsy. Single-use plastics are not whimsical.
American culture is especially consumer-driven. It’s so ingrained that we don’t even think about it. Instead of patching a frayed shirt or repairing damaged furniture, items often just get replaced. The immediate answer to anything is to buy.
Genuine passions are reduced to how you can purchase them and how quickly you can have them. The product of this culture means that individual creativity and personalities are erased. We think less about what we can create. The world is reduced to what we own.
For many of us, whimsy means rejecting consumerist culture and embracing intrinsic joy and love for the world. It can look a little different for each person depending on their passions.
Perhaps it’s crocheting a stuffed animal keychain or cooking heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast. Maybe it’s dressing up in costume for a birthday party with friends or learning how to bake bread with a family member.
Most importantly, whimsy is an approach to life. It can’t be bought, and certainly not when it’s being sold by influencers and companies that want your attention and money.
Both social media and consumerism rob us of joy by giving us a lackluster, addictive view of the world. Instead of finding our own interests and passions, it tells us what we should be doing, what we should be interested in and what we should be buying.
Disengage and go for a walk to appreciate the beauty in the world. Hear the cicadas buzz and the birds sing. See the clouds shift in shape, and feel the wind play in your hair. You cannot help but be filled with a sense of joy.
Life is very beautiful if you know where to look. You can find me jumping in puddles or crouched down to peer at a seemingly ordinary plant or bug.
To me this is whimsy: finding delight in the ordinary and being my truest self. I encourage you to find joy and beauty in the little things.
