Flex Culture - Killer of Original Mentality

 

Ask yourself, how many times a day have you seen someone wearing a branded hoodie, or seen a post online, be it Facebook or Instagram, where someone is on a luxurious holiday? If you were to count, the number would probably go quite high. This new “flex culture” has become very prevalent nowadays, which spurs the question; is it really a healthy form of self-expression?

Some would question whether it’s self-expression at all. Can wearing a lavish brand, made by someone else, be counted as self-expression? And what does another tropical holiday really say about a person? 

Flex Culture

The feeling that “flexing” or showing off brands and wealth is bad comes from an attitude deeply rooted into our society, that showing off is something that should be avoided at all costs. It is very similar to believing that you have no right to be upset or give out because other people have it worse. Flexing is unhealthy, people believe you shouldn’t do it because there are people that aren’t as lucky as you. 

Thinking that flex culture is unhealthy, or unacceptable, is only true when you assume that the person “flexing” is doing it in a malicious way. If someone intentionally tries to make another person feel bad by showing off their branded clothing and makeup, or by posting holiday photos, then that is a horrible and unhealthy thing for both people involved. However, it is crucial to realise that “flexing” shouldn’t always be perceived as negative, with harmful intentions. 

If someone wears a brand or posts about a holiday, it’s probably not the intention for you or anyone else to feel bad. If you see flexing as unhealthy, then you are choosing to see it that way. So if it affects your self-esteem, maybe changing the way you view this new culture will help, rather than seeing the bad in it.

However, like many things, opinions on showing off wealth and things that people have worked hard for, have changed. Attitudes toward money have become less taboo. Nowadays brands can definitely show someone’s personality. Just take Gucci and Chanel as two examples, both are very expressive, yet very distinct from each other. Different brands display different personalities. Just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it isn’t or that it’s not a healthy form of self-expression. 

Author Fay Weldon said, “The desire for self-expression afflicts people when they feel there is something of themselves which is not getting through to the outside world” and, for many, the way they want to express themselves to the outside world is by wearing certain brands that they like, or by going to different countries around the world and sharing the experience online. If it genuinely makes them feel good doing so, then it is certainly not unhealthy. 

Learn more : Is social media turning into a fake reality? 

We Need to Stop Contributing to Flex Culture

I was on Instagram the other day when I noticed something about my online bio. I realized I'm a hypocrite who's been contributing to a problem that I routinely complain about. For instance my bio on my social media platforms all say that I’m a writer. 

That’s the first thing I tell you about myself, but why do I do that? Why not talk about my character or how selfless I am? What’s the point of me saying in my bio that I'm a writer? It's self-aggrandizing, and pompous but I refuse to take it down because I genuinely feel the need to flex on the visitors of my page. It is a problem that's affected my daily interactions as well. Read more: Psychological impact of seeing you tubers spend millions. 

The Bottom Line

In today’s society, it is all about what you have and who knows you have it. Flexing, when relative to social media is the act of showing off what you have to gain popularity. In today's culture, we are obsessed with what others have if we aren’t able to have it ourselves. 

For example, if I were to post a picture of myself standing with a new Rolex, and a caption that doesn’t mention the watch at all, it is perceived that I want the attention on me and not the Rolex whether that was the intention or not. Flexing doesn’t always have to be with the merchandise. 

Written By - Ifrah Amin

Edited By - Pavas Shrigyan