After @vibinggranolamom posted on TikTok. bean soup In last month’s recipe, commenters specifically took issue with the soup’s main ingredient.
“Can I substitute the beans with something else?” one person asked. “Beans? That’s a deal breaker,” said another.
Another TikToker, @sarahthebookfairy, said the pea soup example perfectly illustrates the “what about me” effect. Now, in her own video, she shares the potential consequences of the phenomenon of self-centeredness.
Since Thursday, her viral TikTok about the “What about me?” effect has been viewed more than 2.1 million times.
@sarahthebookfairy #Bean soup #bean soup controversy #chronically online #individualism ♬ Original song – Sarah
“The ‘What about me?’ effect, which is essentially a combination of an individualistic culture and a chronic online state, is prevalent on TikTok,” Sarah said in the video.
She explains that the effect is to “find a way to bring it up about someone” even though the video or topic “has nothing to do with” them.
Users post comments or “look for specific accommodations” to get people talking about them, “rather than realizing that maybe they aren’t the audience for it. ” says Sarah.
As an illustration, Sarah points to the comments on a bean soup recipe video. She wonders why people wrote these comments instead of saying, “If you hate beans, maybe you shouldn’t watch this bean soup video.”
After watching Sarah’s video, TikTok users found the viral bean soup video and wrote a parody of the “What about me?” effect in the comments.
“Hey, can I put some iron on the beans instead?” Or maybe it won’t taste as good? ” one user wrote.
“Since they look alike and all their teeth are broken, what if we put little stones in instead of beans?” joked another. “What can I use instead of teeth?”
Sarah continued in the video that she doesn’t think these comments are due to a lack of common sense on the part of users. Rather, she attributes these comments to America’s “rampant culture of individualism.” This phenomenon is similar to “protagonist syndrome.”
“We make everything ourselves and seek adaptation and validation in everything,” she says.
Sarah has witnessed similar scenarios elsewhere on TikTok. For example, people comment, “What if I go bald?” In a hair care video, a person with gluten intolerance declares that he cannot eat gluten in a bread making video.
The “What about me?” effect exists beyond TikTok, Sarah says.
“I see it on Instagram and Twitter. I think it’s spread all over social media,” she told the Daily Dot in an Instagram direct message.
TikTokers flocked to the comments on Sarah’s video to support her claims.
User @bluecottagebakeryla, a baking tutorial account, said, “I get a lot of comments on my videos saying, “I hate cookie cakes.” It’s just me decorating cookie cakes.” [shrug emoji]”
“I swear this pea soup fiasco should be in future sociology textbooks. It kind of sums up Gen Z culture pretty well,” one user wrote.
But Sarah argues that the ‘What about me?’ effect doesn’t just apply to one generation.
In a follow-up posted to TikTok on Monday, Sarah responded to a comment that read, “I think a lot of the people doing this are young Millennials and older Gen Z.”
@sarahthebookfairy I’m looking forward to it #ego #egoimind #egovshigherself ♬ Original song – Sarah
“What I’m talking about in this other video is not specific to any one type of person,” Sarah says. “Looking for someone to hold you accountable is a waste of energy.”
Sarah, a self-described leftist, makes it clear that the “What about me?” effect is different from the actual case for advocating for fairness and inclusion. She believes the phenomenon is “mocking” people who accuse others of being discriminatory.
“It’s more than just annoying comments on TikTok,” Sara told Daily Dot. “The ripple effect of these comments is that marginalized groups with important claims cannot be heard.”
Other TikTokers have also noticed this trend. User @michelleskidelsky noticed a similar “Whataboutism” phenomenon described in an April 20 video.
@michelleskidelsky If it doesn’t apply, leave it as is.
Michelle said that in one of her videos about eliminating influence, she said people don’t need to buy “bras in every color that Lululemon sells.” People in the comments section responded negatively, asking, “What about professional dancers?”
Frustrated, Michelle said she needed “15 disclaimers” on any topic. “Maybe this video isn’t for them!” she said.
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*First published: September 21, 2023, 6:20pm CDT