No, Thank You, Mr. Hoodville

I'm talking about you, city boys, too.

If you're confused and don't know these accounts, consider yourself blessed. 

The girls who know, know. We all had our moments going through the page, seeing what kind of posts he is deciding to like that week to reassure our intuitions, because that is where we can see what they think is relatable or funny.

I began exploring meme culture and the reality of what social media has become. I love Instagram reels, but please stay away from me if you're trying to communicate your feelings and desires through social media reposts and likes.

I've come to notice the patterns, and it's remarkable how people now use memes to convey things they would never say directly. Reposting and liking are the new ways of confessing and performing identity, especially in the dating world.

No matter what you've been through, you can look up anything, find relatable content, and discover that it has already become a joke. All these memes, posts, and reels have just reassured people's mindsets, and continue to make everything seem corny and 'not that deep.'

Hiding behind the screen doesn't make you the mysterious and nonchalant person you are trying to be. We don't need projection, we need presence. 

There has become a normalcy in people's digital diet consisting of pages that glorify toxicity, detachment, and performative masculinity. You think you're in the wrong until someone validates your mistakes, your ego, and your fake depth.

It's funny because it has to be. The truth is, we want what is real, but we are raised in a generation where expressing desire is perceived as a sign of weakness. You don't want to be embarrassed, and you do not want to look like the idiots you've seen online, so now we are just scared. 

We love emotional camouflage. Nothing like sharing your feelings through a repost. Nothing like trying to figure out what your crush wants from you by scrolling through social media. Is this what the dating pool has come to?

In this day and age, it's safer to turn vulnerability into a joke because it's safer than admitting you got rejected, you're lonely, or something actually hurt you. It's better to show your friends that you are that person, and can relate to some corny post. You aren't projecting what you think, and it's just your way of trying to prove you're something you'll never be. 

I go to quote a Hoodville post, and one that catches my eye is, "get out ya feelings, there's no money in there."

What kind of language is this? What are we teaching the next generation of men and women? That you can't have something because you don't have this, that, and the other. Feelings are unnecessary if you don't have the riches. Don't trust anyone, because Hoodville said it. And definitely don't fall in love, because you'll only get hurt. 

It's entertaining though, right? And this writer is sensitive or something. I am clarifying the reality, and the truth behind what people consider to be funny nowadays is pathetic. 

I think it's time to get serious about a flip phone, because I am done. Like all our moms continue to say, "It's that damn phone."

Strike out, 

Kaden Horn

Boca Raton

Kaden Horn is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. She is a free-spirited Leo who loves to write humorously, but also in a way that is intentional and meaningful. She thrives in peaceful environments, whether it’s at the beach, working out, or rewatching Vampire Diaries for the 100th time. You can reach her at kaden.horn813@gmail.com, or her Instagram @kadennhunter