to develop personal taste we must first drop the idea that we’re looking for taste in the first place. when we were kids it was either you liked something or you didn’t. why is it now we must consider if other people like it, if it’s cool to like it etc.
agreed -- nowadays it's less about do i like this thing vs do i want other people to see that i like it / have it. and it also extends to more existential things like jobs, friends, and partners, etc.
the cop out answer is a little bit of both but taste to me also reflects a relationship (whether that's between person/observer or person/self) where there's some level of shared context or storytelling.
Hey Tina, loved this article! I’ve been surfing and binge-reading your Substack posts, and each one brings to light my thoughts that I don’t know how to put to words. Thank you for writing them so eloquently, feels like something worth reading in an era where every page reads the same.
aw koena! i'm so glad to hear it -- i love reading blogs because it makes me feel like the things i'm thinking about / stress me out are normal and things that other people feel too.
Well stated! I’m 34 and the number of dizzying style personas and microtrends makes my head spin. It seems like people have such a strong drive to find what is “them” when we all have preferences, unique lifestyle choices, and things that give us that little jolt of excitement when we see them. The more ~style content~ I consume, the muddier the waters become for me!
You described this so perfectly. My friend has this cheeky saying that when she consumes the most "self-help" content is when she feels the most un-well. It seems like this applies to "style content" as well
💯exactly!! I started thinking more about this after reading Chayka’s book (just shared some thoughts on my blog) but it’s such a good point. TikTok often feels more grassroots in terms of trends, as they are started by ‘regular’ people, but it’s easy to forget that there are still algorithms dictating our preferences. I’ve been thinking more about the implications for language too - like you were saying about ‘demure and mindful’ etc. Slang is so far flung now, and doesn’t signify belonging to a particular area or social group like it might’ve done in the past. So interesting
Sometimes when I'm describing things in a video I'll automatically default to saying something is "cute" or being "obsessed" because I'm so used to hearing that language online. It's scary when we all start to look, sound, dress the same!
With how fast trend cycles are, it's hard for me to discern what I actually like or what I'm being made to like. Especially, when there's pressure to define yourself as one of these trends- am I "pink pilates princess" or "fairy garden cottage core vibes"? I think this especially comes to the front during the holidays when all of the gift guides are for this specific aesthetic person in your life. Thanks for sharing these thoughts so eloquently!
I agree -- even the idea of what is collectively deemed as "good taste" or "chic" can be limiting. But then again I don't think anyone develops taste in a vacuum either -- a lot of what we like or dislike is a reaction to something else we see.
This may be a lame comment but I wanted to say - you are so wise and I love your content. I think the word “inspiring” can mean a lot of different things to different people but truly, you are so smart, articulate, and inspiring. I have responsibilities that can make it hard to find time for myself (I’m a little older than you and also feel that I don’t one day want to wake up and think… how did I get here? Or worse… how am I still here?) but reading your content makes me feel compelled to find space for development and self exploration. Wish me luck!
Hi Lauren! Not at all -- this comment is so earnest and I love that quality in people! I'm hoping you're finding some time for yourself and to explore what interests you and doing so without feeling guilt or stress!
Best of luck and please keep me posted on how you go:)
I found the parts about taste and the end conclusion on trying to cultivate interessts outside the recommendations of the algorithm thought provoking. It does have some repetitive parts, I liked some chapters more than others :)
this piece is so inspiring and just what i needed to read and start writing. and *maybe* think about switching over to apple music.
just watched your tiktok about and came from there to read this. it’s great and i loved the sources you mentioned. kind of wild how our lives are so deeply dictated by our phones and very intricate and personal algorithms—yet we all sound the same!
Okay so honestly I've been thinking about switching to apple music for like a couple of months now and I think the convenience of sharing and stuff being shared with me easily is stopping me. But like actually! (I was stopped by them walking back lyrics as a paid feature)
Oh I remember the Breakaway cassette was the first pop album I ever bought. And I learnt English by translating the whole album manually. And only a few of my classmates that knew that album.
“the ux in the latest update makes listening to complete albums or discographies harder but pushes users to consume singular songs / hits.” Can anyone explain exactly what changed for it to be this way? I am curious
You should read Kyle Chaykla's article where he goes into more depth but essentially he observes that the Music tab on Spotify is filled with playlists, radio stations and algorithmically generated playlists and navigating to a place to browse full albums is much more difficult. Obviously you can still search for albums but if you're on the Spotify homepage, the path of least resistance is to just play a playlist instead.
to develop personal taste we must first drop the idea that we’re looking for taste in the first place. when we were kids it was either you liked something or you didn’t. why is it now we must consider if other people like it, if it’s cool to like it etc.
agreed -- nowadays it's less about do i like this thing vs do i want other people to see that i like it / have it. and it also extends to more existential things like jobs, friends, and partners, etc.
is good taste good because it reflects personal authenticity or because it adheres to objective beauty/order? many people wondering!
the cop out answer is a little bit of both but taste to me also reflects a relationship (whether that's between person/observer or person/self) where there's some level of shared context or storytelling.
Hey Tina, loved this article! I’ve been surfing and binge-reading your Substack posts, and each one brings to light my thoughts that I don’t know how to put to words. Thank you for writing them so eloquently, feels like something worth reading in an era where every page reads the same.
aw koena! i'm so glad to hear it -- i love reading blogs because it makes me feel like the things i'm thinking about / stress me out are normal and things that other people feel too.
Absolutely! Can’t wait to read more :)
Well stated! I’m 34 and the number of dizzying style personas and microtrends makes my head spin. It seems like people have such a strong drive to find what is “them” when we all have preferences, unique lifestyle choices, and things that give us that little jolt of excitement when we see them. The more ~style content~ I consume, the muddier the waters become for me!
You described this so perfectly. My friend has this cheeky saying that when she consumes the most "self-help" content is when she feels the most un-well. It seems like this applies to "style content" as well
💯exactly!! I started thinking more about this after reading Chayka’s book (just shared some thoughts on my blog) but it’s such a good point. TikTok often feels more grassroots in terms of trends, as they are started by ‘regular’ people, but it’s easy to forget that there are still algorithms dictating our preferences. I’ve been thinking more about the implications for language too - like you were saying about ‘demure and mindful’ etc. Slang is so far flung now, and doesn’t signify belonging to a particular area or social group like it might’ve done in the past. So interesting
I've been thinking about slang more recently too.
Sometimes when I'm describing things in a video I'll automatically default to saying something is "cute" or being "obsessed" because I'm so used to hearing that language online. It's scary when we all start to look, sound, dress the same!
you've captured how i've been feeling about this so perfectly !
i'm glad it resonates! it took some time for me to parse through what i was feeling and how it all connects
With how fast trend cycles are, it's hard for me to discern what I actually like or what I'm being made to like. Especially, when there's pressure to define yourself as one of these trends- am I "pink pilates princess" or "fairy garden cottage core vibes"? I think this especially comes to the front during the holidays when all of the gift guides are for this specific aesthetic person in your life. Thanks for sharing these thoughts so eloquently!
I agree -- even the idea of what is collectively deemed as "good taste" or "chic" can be limiting. But then again I don't think anyone develops taste in a vacuum either -- a lot of what we like or dislike is a reaction to something else we see.
This is such an interesting article! Btw, I'm curious what job role were you applying for?
Thank you! It was a biz ops / corporate development role!
This may be a lame comment but I wanted to say - you are so wise and I love your content. I think the word “inspiring” can mean a lot of different things to different people but truly, you are so smart, articulate, and inspiring. I have responsibilities that can make it hard to find time for myself (I’m a little older than you and also feel that I don’t one day want to wake up and think… how did I get here? Or worse… how am I still here?) but reading your content makes me feel compelled to find space for development and self exploration. Wish me luck!
Hi Lauren! Not at all -- this comment is so earnest and I love that quality in people! I'm hoping you're finding some time for yourself and to explore what interests you and doing so without feeling guilt or stress!
Best of luck and please keep me posted on how you go:)
Have you read Filterworld by Kyle Chayka? I think you'd appreciate it :)
Not yet — I’ve heard mixed reviews! I’ve heard it can be a bit repetitive but curious for your thoughts?
I found the parts about taste and the end conclusion on trying to cultivate interessts outside the recommendations of the algorithm thought provoking. It does have some repetitive parts, I liked some chapters more than others :)
this piece is so inspiring and just what i needed to read and start writing. and *maybe* think about switching over to apple music.
just watched your tiktok about and came from there to read this. it’s great and i loved the sources you mentioned. kind of wild how our lives are so deeply dictated by our phones and very intricate and personal algorithms—yet we all sound the same!
Okay so honestly I've been thinking about switching to apple music for like a couple of months now and I think the convenience of sharing and stuff being shared with me easily is stopping me. But like actually! (I was stopped by them walking back lyrics as a paid feature)
Oh I remember the Breakaway cassette was the first pop album I ever bought. And I learnt English by translating the whole album manually. And only a few of my classmates that knew that album.
Extremely well written. 🏆
“the ux in the latest update makes listening to complete albums or discographies harder but pushes users to consume singular songs / hits.” Can anyone explain exactly what changed for it to be this way? I am curious
You should read Kyle Chaykla's article where he goes into more depth but essentially he observes that the Music tab on Spotify is filled with playlists, radio stations and algorithmically generated playlists and navigating to a place to browse full albums is much more difficult. Obviously you can still search for albums but if you're on the Spotify homepage, the path of least resistance is to just play a playlist instead.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/why-i-finally-quit-spotify
Which is sooo much easier said than done!