What are your goals for the year? Is it to wake up early? Drink more water? Go to the gym? Tracking productivity a few years ago looked a little different than it does today. What was once ‘dear diary’, is now a social media trend coined ‘mini vlogs‘.
Mini vlogs are a cumulation of short videos on TikTok (and Instagram Reels) that detail morning routines, OOTDs, workouts, and everything else the girl next door does throughout the day. As this trend gains popularity, we’ve become obsessed with soothing lighting, the R&B rendition of ‘Happier Than Ever’ by Billie Eilish, clipped with a series of mundane tasks to scream “I have my life together”. The trend represents efficiency and wellness but is it the ultimate productivity hack or just a façade?
Being ‘that girl’
In 2020, we spent more time on our phones and social media than ever before. More time at home meant we had to find creative ways to stay productive. At the rise of boredom and uncertainty, mini vlogs, morning routines and being ‘that girl’ started to gain popularity and enticed viewers to do just that.
Gen Z are attacking their goals differently in 2022. Gone are the days of Etsy Habit Trackers; hello one-minute videos perfectly curated for thousands to see. TikTok users can’t get enough of it. The dopamine high of watching another individual being productive is oddly motivating. Mini vlogs encourage Gen Z to be more productive in their own lives and most importantly, document it.
Being ‘that girl’ generally means the same thing across all platforms: waking up between 5 and 7 am, meditating before taking a shower, and following through with a well-curated skincare routine. Picking an outfit and heading to the gym come after. By 8 am, ‘that girl’ has already journaled, walked her dog and had a healthy breakfast, ready to head off to her well-decorated WFH workspace. #productivequeen – sounds great, right?!
According to Ayelet Fishbach, author of ‘Get It Done’, this trend might not be the motivator we think it is:
“In terms of motivation, it serves two functions: 1. Precommitment: announcing to the world that you’re going to do something increases the cost of not doing it, so you’re more committed. 2. Social facilitation: when you’re being observed, you work harder and often perform better. The audience increases your arousal, which facilitates goal pursuit.”
We work harder when we know someone’s watching
Social facilitation is the concept that when we are put under a microscope, or in this case social media, to perform, we do just that…perform and perform better.
I remember being a cheerleader for the first time in middle school and being one of five girls on the squad who couldn’t do a full split. Minutes away from my very first performance, I couldn’t fathom the feeling of incompetence and decided to drop into a split, no stretching necessary. I did it! I managed a full split at the end of the performance and the crowd went wild!
Needless to say, I spent that weekend in absolute pain. Knowing that my peers would be watching me perform for the first time was the motivation I needed to excel. This is no different than this productivity trend on social media.
In spite of my cheerleading past, a couple of middle-schoolers online could not motivate me to learn to cartwheel or overcome my fear of dogs. Motivation, like trends, is fleeting. Knowing that trends come and go leads to this question – what are the drawbacks of relying on this method to increase productivity?
There’s a fine line between feeling noticed and feeling monitored
“[There are] two potential drawbacks: 1. It probably works mainly for extroverts, who are willing to broadcast their actions in the first place. 2. There’s a risk of doing something only because it’s socially desirable. People might gravitate toward pursuing activities that will impress others but might not be in their own best interest. I can envision extreme risk-taking, for example.” says Fishbach.
At first glance, it all seems like a great idea. Especially, if like me, you’re always looking for new ways to be productive and motivate yourself towards your goals. However, doing anything for the sake of attention and glorification from others is never the solution to self-actualization. If there’s anything I’ve learned from watching Justin Bieber grow up with millions of teenage girls looking up to him, it’s that it can be extremely pressing on your mental health.
If we work harder when we know someone is watching, how many people should be watching, especially considering mental health?
“[I’m] not sure there’s a magic number, though we found that the more the merrier and there’s research showing that athletes do better in front of large audiences. I agree there are mental health concerns. We don’t want people to do something that’s not good for them (e.g. risky behaviors) only to impress others, or even work too hard and stretch too thin because their actions are broadcasted. There’s a fine line between feeling noticed, which is good for our motivation, and feeling monitored or overwhelmed, which is distracting and not in particular helpful.”
Intention not attention
Being ‘that girl’, hustle culture and girl bossing too close to the sun are all trends that eventually lead to burnout, but it doesn’t mean that with moderation and good intention it can’t have positive outcomes on our individual productivity and wellness.
“Sure, the right mixture of these tips can make us more organized and focused, but the outcome isn’t always a better work-life balance or a more structured morning routine. It’s the gamification of labor, where the pressure for output is exhilarating because it’s tangible and trackable,” writes Beatrice Forman.
I, like many of my followers, love an aesthetically pleasing mini vlog that romanticizes habits I often neglect. The calming melodies, minimalist décor and steamy coffee mugs drive viewers with a sense of hope, fulfilment and accomplishment. So in some sense, mini vlogs have got it right. It can be a great way to glamorously track productivity. However, #selfcare starts with self. The ultimate productivity hack is intention, not attention.
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Written by Lindsay Francois
Illustrated by Francesca Mariama
