Will 2016 mark the downfall of the basic bitch and her male counterpart, the basic bro? Even if you’ve never heard the term ‘basic’ before, if you have a social media account and a shred of dignity, chances are you are as sick of basic as I am. Here are three tell-tale signs you are dealing with someone basic:
They live for likes, not experiences
Basic people exist within a social media bubble. They consider a couple hundred Facebook or Instagram likes a perfect substitute for meaningful interaction with others and the world around them. The provocative selfie is the basic bitch’s contribution to the world, and the double-tap is her validation.
What sets a basic bitch apart from the rest of us is her motivation. Many of us chase experiences which we think will make us feel good, whether it’s going on holiday, buying new clothes, or going on a night out. Like us, the basic bitch does all these things. Unlike us, the basic bitch locates the value of these experiences in the attention she will get from sharing the evidence of having had them, rather than in the experience itself and the happiness it brings.
They talk about possessions, not ideas
If you know someone who rarely talks about anything but material possessions, there’s a strong chance they are basic. We all like to have nice things. But whereas the rest of us know that the things we buy are ultimately irrelevant to our long-term happiness, basic people flaunt their material wealth as if they believe this to be a sign that they are winning at life. They are yet to realise that life is not a competition that exists to be won, and that what they own is of no relevance to anyone but themselves.
The basic bitch is too busy posting pictures of her drinks, her manicure and her new bikini to realise that there is a complex world beyond her Insta-bubble where millions of people are struggling to survive. Social media rewards mirror-gazing and numbs us to the realities of the world beyond our goldfish bowl. As it increasingly dominates our lives, who will provide the thought leadership we need to tackle the problems facing our society? Is the selfie generation even capable of producing a Nelson Mandela, Gandhi or Martin Luther King?
They seek others’ approval, not their own
Vanity is the defining quality of the basic bitch. She pours all her efforts into looking good, and she succeeds. She craves attention, particularly from the opposite sex, and she gets it. Yet she mistakenly believes that this makes her different, not realising that both Instagram and the bars of the world are populated with girls who look and behave just like her. This leads her to undervalue the pursuit of real achievements which require actual skill, talent and originality.
We all have basic moments. Sometimes you just have to snapchat your new trainers. I get that. What’s worrying is that utterly basic behaviours are not only widespread but are increasingly met with social approval. The other day I read an article in HuffPost which educated readers about the most socially acceptable way to take a photo of your own ass while working out. I hope it isn’t just me that thinks there is no socially acceptable way of doing that, no matter where you are, no exceptions.
Recently I’ve noticed that even semi-basic people are getting fed up. I think that’s a good sign. Maybe in the not-too-distant future people will lose interest in this kind of superficial content and stop rewarding it with their approval. We’d all be better off.
By Jane Welch