Rejecting "So You Don’t Have to…” Content On Social Media

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit, over the past few weeks adapting to newborn life, I’ve been more than a little glued to my phone, particularly the time sucking social media platforms. Between late-night/early-morning feedings, marathon baby rocking sessions, and diaper changes, there’s a lot of downtime, where my brain craves some other stimulation—and YouTube shorts have been a welcome mindless escape. In today’s day and age, the availability and presence of short form content is a science of engagement. What starts as an innocent need to “tune out” to balance the endless loop of baby talk and lullabies, ends in hours of the day wasted scrolling and swiping with no notable take aways or learnings. But as I scroll through reels and shorts, one striking phrase kept popping up that made me worry: “I did [insert experience] so you don’t have to.”

What in the actual heck? Since when did literally living vicariously through someone else become something that content creators encourage, and even tout? Sure, social media is about sharing highlights, reviewing restaurants, or giving travel tips—to inspire and encourage people to try these out for themselves, and to promote amazing businesses. But now it’s become a strange territory where people are straight-up encouraging others to let them do the living. “I traveled to Bali so you don’t have to,” or “I tried this extreme workout so you can skip it.” When did experiencing life firsthand become optional?

I get it—some content is helpful, informative, and saves us time, like product reviews or cooking tutorials. But when endless streams of lifestyle creators start pushing the idea that watching them experience life is somehow equivalent to actually living it ourselves, we’ve got a problem. Life is not a spectator sport, and we’re shortchanging ourselves if we think scrolling through someone else’s day is a substitute for actually living our own.

The Evolving Trap of the “Highlight Reel” and Why It’s So Hard to Escape

I think this “I did it so you don’t have to” mentality is just the latest evolution of the “highlight reel” trap. Social media has always encouraged a selective and curated sort of storytelling, where people curate and polish their lives to perfection in perfect grids. We’ve all fallen into that comparison game, scrolling through everyone else’s greatest hits and feeling like our own lives come up short. But at least before, the idea was that we wanted to live those moments ourselves. Now, we’re literally being invited to sit back and watch as if our lives are somehow secondary.

The problem? Living through a screen can only take us so far. The smell of fresh air on a mountain hike, the sensation of your feet in the sand, the thrill of trying something new for the first time—these are things that just can’t be replicated through a video created by someone else. Watching a stranger bungee jump won’t give you the adrenaline rush. Watching a chef prepare a meal isn’t the same as savouring the taste yourself. When we let social media stand in for real-life experiences, we’re missing out on the full spectrum of emotions, sensations, and memories that make life worth living.

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So here’s a (un)radical thought: log off, step outside, and do the things you’re curious about. Try something, anything new that allows you to relish the moment. Try the new restaurant, even if the reviews are mixed. Book that trip, even if it’s not perfectly Instagrammable. Go for the hike, dance in your living room, mess up a recipe, say yes to an adventure you’ve been putting off. Life is happening right now, in all its imperfect, unfiltered glory—and we owe it to ourselves to be fully present for the moments that unfold for us.

Social media can be a fun escape, but don’t let it become a substitute for real-life connection, growth, and experiences. We need to stop letting influencers be the main characters in our lives, and stop them encouraging us to live vicariously through them. Embrace the awkwardness, the unpredictability, the beauty of living for yourself. Remember: you’re the one who gets to decide what’s worth experiencing.