“Follow me on Spotify!” “Oh, and on Goodreads!” “And Letterboxd!” All are sentences that used to haunt me at night. No, I do not want to follow you. You’d follow me back and see all that I admittedly and somewhat embarrassingly like: musicals, fairy tales, and those cheesy pirate movies from the 1930s.
I loved my accounts on these apps. They catered to my tastes, gave me amazing recommendations based on what I liked, and connected me with similar people around the world. But having people I knew in real life see that about me? I’d rather not.
Even though I was upfront about my interests to my good friends and on my profile, I still felt uncomfortable knowing that everyone could have that glimpse into my life.
Don’t get me wrong, I think these apps are wonderful and, frankly, the best form of social media we have. Even as one of the biggest social media haters, I appreciate their existence. In the digital age, we should be able to express our opinions on art and connect based on our similarities. In a vast online world, people are given the chance to not feel so alone.
Even more so, criticism and reflection on art do not have to be centered around the upper echelons of critics. Conversation, criticism, and collaboration have become more accessible to even the average person.
But nothing is wholly good. These apps are still social media and were created to further engagement. And like any social media app, the fear of being judged slips in. It’s no secret that these apps are all performative, with no one’s lives truly matching what we see online. But platforms such as Letterboxd, Goodreads, and even the followers buttons on Spotify and Pinterest are starting to feel that weight.
I can see my classmate having The Godfather as his top film on Letterboxd when he had just admitted it was Despicable Me. I can see another friend hiding her playlists full of Disney hits on Spotify, only showing her pop and rap compilations. I even fall into this trap myself—I’ll admit it now, I haven’t actually read the 1200-page monster that is The Count of Monte Cristo, despite what my Goodreads says.
And hey, if any of those pretentious and popular pieces are your favorite, then hats off to you. But for many, that does not accurately reflect their true taste and preferences. Instead, people fall into the same trap they do in traditional social media of being inauthentic.
Everyone knows that social media does not reflect real life, and yet we cannot stop posting like it does. This performativity has transcended talking about our life status to now include our interests, lying about things as simple as what we care about.
This disingenuity is even more toxic on apps meant to be about art. These platforms aren’t meant to be a highlight reel but rather a way to connect and explore what you’re passionate about. Art was created for self-expression, yet art-based apps are full of people lying about their true opinions.
Instead of being about your image on these apps, you’re meant to engage with other users about why this book was life-changing or why that movie’s score was awful. Find new songs that perfectly match that playlist, regardless of what you think others may think.
But hey, I get it. People lie about what they like in order to escape judgment. This fear of ostracization, stemming from wanting to be accepted, is pervasive, all-consuming, and worsens the more you fall into it. I feel it every single day. But I keep reminding myself that really, no one cares—especially about what you like. Everyone is too caught up in their own lives to care if you listen to the Teen Beach Movie soundtrack when you work out.
And if someone judges you for what you genuinely enjoy, why would you want their approval anyway? If anything, it’s a great indicator that you really shouldn’t care about what they think of you.
These apps can and should be used for good. I implore you to use them for community, entertainment, and conversation. Art-based apps can be used in a liberating way, but only if we have the courage to be our true selves.
It’s all right to say that you like that Marvel movie more than that Oscar-winner from 1965. Put that trashy fantasy novel on your Goodreads and whatever playlists you want on your Spotify profile. There’s no shame in liking what you like.
While it may seem scary, it doesn’t matter—in most cases, no one actually cares! So don’t do yourself the injustice of thinking that they do. Your authenticity will free you and maybe help you connect to others similar to yourself.
At the end of the day, this isn’t a call to delete Letterboxd, Goodreads, and Spotify from your phone. Use them to read funny reviews and log all of your favorite picks, but beware of falling into that performance trap. It doesn’t do you or anyone else any favors. Use these apps as they were intended to be used: to be you.
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