THE SUBLIME ART OF FLAKING

How the Wellness Industry and Social Media have made us all selfish, solitary iPad kids (but at least we all smell good and have defined jaw lines, right? RIGHT?!)

*Disclaimer: I am in no way removing myself from the below topics. Apologies to any of my friends I’ve cancelled or flaked on recently xo

These days I seem to be able to cancel an evening catch-up with a dear friend as quickly as I can send a TikTok to another. Flaking has become so easy in a world where we can entertain ourselves for the night, day, or week. There’s no need to hang out and discuss what’s happening across the globe (trivial or not) when we can simply listen to what everyone else has to say about it first – there you go, opinion formed. Opinions should be formed by having real conversations with real people and caring to hear what they have to say (enter, friends)! The devastating knowledge that there’s always something to keep us entertained, and the feeling that we’ll never be bored again, is one reason flaking seems so easy, but another more specific one is the wellness industry.

“Morning Shed” TikTok captions read, as young girls remove the layers of patches, headbands, mouth tape, and chin straps (suitable for tooth removal) just to leave the house every morning. “Sorry, I can’t make it tonight” I’m sure their text messages read from the night before as they think ahead to the preparation they must face to get their beauty sleep. Alongside these trends, we’ve got wellness gurus who spent six months in Bali offering unwarranted advice on how to take care of yourself when the full moon approaches.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the stars and planets aligning, and caring for your mental health – of course I am, but I can’t help but wonder what better use of our time it might be to socialise. If all we’re seeing, watching, and consuming is the same FYP with a slight twist and variation here and there, how original can our output ever be from one another?

I think my point has been quite clear here, but in case you didn’t quite catch on – stop flaking on your friends. If we have really reached a point when flaking and cancelling on our closest friends is normal, how can we expect to develop authentic and of-the-moment reactions to things? I know you think it might feel better to crawl into bed and keep up with whatever weekly trend is emerging right now, but the simple act of conversation might just be the awakening you need.

Love,

Your Treasured Guide x

P.S. Does mouth tape actually work?