self portraits by me 💗🌿
not just a pretty face wearing pretty clothes for pretty pictures
How the Viral Tube Girl Trend AWAKENED Me.
I certainly have done my fair share in partaking in the tube girl trend. You can check that out for yourself on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram (or just scroll to bottom of this post). I even filmed it in public. Talk about exposure therapy!
Not everyone is a fan of tube girl, but personally, she AWAKENED something in me. I find it inspiring how she made something mundane like riding a tube so fun and exciting, showing her authentic self in a fun way, while gaining so much influence in the process.
In the midst of my digital creative journey, one human trait remains constant in the ebb and flow of fast Internet trends: the pursuit of authenticity, even online.
The viral Tube Girl trend took the Internet world by a storm, and for me, she transported me back to the Tumblr days of 2014, when the internet was brimming with immaculate vibes. What resonated most was her authenticity in turning the ordinary into something exciting. It’s a reminder of what the internet should be: fun, thrilling, and real. Yet today’s online world feels like a chore, especially for many creators such as myself.
Or perhaps it’s my perfectionist tendencies. I’m the kind of person who is all in or all out. It’s a trait common amongst perfectionists. In school, I often oscillated between being a straight-A student and barely passing my classes.
The pandemic gave me time and space to up my creator game via fashion, modeling, and photography. As I reflect on my creator path, I am so proud of what I’ve accomplished in this space, the confidence I’ve gained, and the connections made with inspiring fellow creators.
Yet, I’ve encountered burnout and a creative rut. I haven’t been feeling very inspired to share aesthetics because real life is not aesthetic. I felt inauthentic sharing curated photos when I’m in a t-shirt and top knot most days.
Maybe it is the change of season, and Texas still feeling very much like Summer. And maybe I am just tired. Tired of prioritizing perfectly curated photos. I love aesthetics and art, but I don’t want it to be my focus anymore.
Creating content is a labor of love, and sharing it to the online world opens Creators up to judgement and scrutiny. I pour my heart, time, and energy into my creative work, and recently, I have been wondering why, and for whom, and for what.
Just take the self portraits in these posts as an example. Although taking these photos by myself with a professional camera was not too challenging for a seasoned self-photographer such as me, it still took a lot of effort to get ready, drive to the location in sweltering Texas heat, carry my equipment and tripods, set up the camera, model for the photos, adjust the camera for different shots, go through 1000s of photos, edit the select few, post them on my blog, market them on social media…All for what? Why am I creating?
Asking these questions, I feel like a content machine that is self-actualizing…Jokes aside, my dream is to have an online personality, not just a superficial online presence.
My desire to prioritize perfectly curated photos has waned. The recent pause in my usual content allowed me to reassess how I wish to present myself online: not just a pretty face wearing pretty clothes for pretty pictures, but a genuine personality, quirks and all.
The world isn’t a Pinterest mood board, and neither should our content be. I don’t want to just show off aesthetics. I want more to show up authentically. Even if people find me weird and dorky; even if it means losing followers.
Ever since I started posting less aesthetic contents, my engagement on Instagram has waned considerably. But if my shift in content means I lose followers, then so be it. Those people never mattered to me anyways. The right audience will stick and grow with me as a community.
Speaking of community, I want to show my gratitude for those who not only stuck with me, and especially to those who have engaged with my different styles of content. Y’all are the MVP! I love you all! ❤️
In today’s Instagram world of online curated perfection, I am on a journey to rediscovering my authenticity online. The Tube Girl trend sparked this and reminded me that the Internet is supposed to be fun. As I embrace the real, imperfect me, I hope to inspire others to do the same.
Have you been inspired by the Tube Girl trend? Has social media become too focused on aesthetics? How do you stay true to yourself online?
Share your thoughts in the comments, and let’s keep this conversation going. 💭
@vivianrtang Confidence for first date after tube girl trend 📈📈📈 even with a broken shoe #tubegirl #tubegirlconfidence #tubegirltrend #tubegirlintraining #tubegirls #tubegirleffect ♬ Prada – cassö & RAYE & D-Block Europe
@vivianrtang Y’all best believe I did self check out after this. I don’t even want to share how many takes this took 💀 #tubegirlconfidence #texastubegirl #tubegirleffect #tubegirls #tubegirl #asiantubegirl #HEB #texas #fyp #trending #trend #princeton #viral ♬ original sound – habz.fx
xx, vt
