One of many ways in which the internet gotten worse in recent years is that so much of it has become so polished. With many Millennials, Gen Z and younger looking up to influencers for inspiration, so much of the content we get confronted with seems like a subtle boast about how great somebody else’s life is. This can be attractive to us if they’re selling something that we want, but it gets old quick. Lifestyle blogging can only take us so far. 

Strip away the fancy brands and flattering lighting, and we find something a lot less attractive: the annoyingly smug humble bragger. When it’s not dressed up in a pretty package, they’re easy to spot and mighty cringeworthy to boot. The one thing they can be good for is humor, although most of the time it’s unintentional. There’s a difference between healthy self-confidence and having a serious ego problem.