It seems that everywhere you turn, what you’re doing has been turned into an «aesthetic.» In the online world, every mundane activity is an opportunity for branding, product placement, and up-sells. Hitting the gym requires a constellation of pre-workout supplements, Apple over-ear headphones, and Gymshark matching sets. You’re not getting your steps in, you’re going on a «Hot Girl Walk.» Stanley cups and their requisite accessories have turned the simple act of drinking water into a chance to show you’re «in the know.» Everyday tasks become rituals imbued with meaning: We’re taking everything showers, we’re in our clean girl era, and we’re… reading? But does all this «aesthetification» somehow cheapen the experience? Or does it figuratively and literally add to it? 

Clever marketers have been trying to start trends for decades, probably centuries, but the proliferation of social media influencing, especially on TikTok, has dispersed those messages into smaller, more ambiguous pieces. It’s hard to decipher between a friend letting us in on their trick and a company selling something to us.