Preening into the camera

[MrDarcysMa]

I've had to unfollow a few Instagrammers lately because they've all started something I can't bear. When talking to the camera for stories/ IGTV etc they're not even concentrating on what they're saying, instead of addressing their audience they're blatantly just checking themselves out and preening, pouting and jhuzing (however you spell it) their hair or whatever. The latest one is an interiors account - not a hair or beauty one.

I also saw it on a tv documentary last night about weight, the girl talking into the camera was blatantly doing it and kept pulling kind of sexy faces at herself as she spoke to camera.

Is this normal now? Aibu to find it cringy and awful to watch?

Bumping

I don't know if it's normal as I don't have Instagram. Reading your status makes me glad about my decision. All of my friends are on Instagram and I'd started to feel left out but life is too short to watch shit like that.

My new reality of endless zoom calls has made me realise that humans are just bald parakeets with rights and anxiety. It is SO hard not to stare at your own face, when it’s just there being distracting. So while I agree it’s annoying and awkward, I have a lot of sympathy with people who fall victim to it!

@MrDarcysMa

I've had to unfollow a few Instagrammers lately because they've all started something I can't bear. When talking to the camera for stories/ IGTV etc they're not even concentrating on what they're saying, instead of addressing their audience they're blatantly just checking themselves out and preening, pouting and jhuzing (however you spell it) their hair or whatever. The latest one is an interiors account - not a hair or beauty one.

I also saw it on a tv documentary last night about weight, the girl talking into the camera was blatantly doing it and kept pulling kind of sexy faces at herself as she spoke to camera.

Is this normal now? Aibu to find it cringy and awful to watch?

do you give this feedback to them directly? I think it would be an idea.

humans are just bald parakeets with rights and anxiety

HA!

Yanbu to find it cringey, I do too. But it’s a bit odd to say “I’ve had to unfollow a few instagrammers” like it’s some kind of hardship

If you don’t like it, don’t follow them. Tbh I find myself doing it in zoom calls, most people naturally want to look as good as they can on camera on there’s nothing more off putting than looking at your own ugly mug while trying to concentrate on what you’re saying!

Haha this is definitely a thing! I watched a young woman being interviewed over Zoom by the BBC, asking her how she felt about the u-turn on exams and how it would affect her education going forward and I have to say she seemed a little more concerned with her angles and running her hands through her hair every 20 secs. She looked lovely, she needn’t have worried.

In answer to your aibu, I’d say yanbu it gives me the second hand embarrassment, toe curl cringe and I think I’d also have to unfollow the culprits.

I don’t follow people as such - just the usual middle-aged interests like RHS gardens, gardeners world presenters, the odd friend, and cycling and mountaineering stuff. It’s pretty nice for inspiration for things but apart from the Gardeners World lot I do t follow celebrities so that keeps a lot of the shite off. I can’t imagine Monty Don preening...

YANBU. I've definitely done a purge recently on instagram from influencers. I know it's a very image focused app but I realised all the women obsessed with their appearance was making me self conscious and vain. Now I follow interior design, food, gardening etc. which is a lot more interesting than looking at 50 girls who are all identical showing off their latest purchase fresh from the sweat shop.

humans are just bald parakeets with rights and anxiety. It is SO hard not to stare at your own face
This made me spit my tea out laughing

I think this has been a “thing” for ages, Youtubers back in 2007 probably started it!

@Prettybubblesintheair

Yanbu to find it cringey, I do too. But it’s a bit odd to say “I’ve had to unfollow a few instagrammers” like it’s some kind of hardship

If you don’t like it, don’t follow them. Tbh I find myself doing it in zoom calls, most people naturally want to look as good as they can on camera on there’s nothing more off putting than looking at your own ugly mug while trying to concentrate on what you’re saying!

But it was disappointing because they're interiors accounts and I love their content generally- but it's been ruined for my by the preening and hair fluffing into the camera!

Surely this is the purpose of the idiotic social media sites, real people don't need to do this, for the lovers of these sites it's all about trying to make themselves look less stupid.

Many many years ago, it was suggested to me to never put a "normal" picture of myself up to prevent it being nicked and used for fake OLD profiles and the like.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it's hard to gurn ever time you're in the lens ...