Why the ‘10 Year Challenge’ is the worst the internet has seen
This challenge is just another way for people to bask in their own self-love glory and none of your friends actually care.
It’s a new year, and therefore, a new internet challenge is upon us. We’ve seen challenges in the past including dumping a bucket of ice on oneself, ingesting teaspoons of cinnamon, and challenges involving wasabi that we won’t go into too much detail about — and just a few days ago, an egg beat Kylie Jenner’s record for the most-liked image on Instagram. What a time to be alive!
Now, there’s a new viral sensation sweeping across everyone’s social media feeds so fast, we can barely keep up.
It’s called the ‘10 Year Challenge’ — where people share a picture of themselves 10 years ago alongside one from today to show how amazing they still look and how they haven’t aged a day.
Celebrities alike are jumping on the bandwagon hot and fast with people like Reese Witherspoon (granted, she literally has not aged and we’re suspicious), Jessica Biel, Kevin Hart and even Caitlyn Jenner sharing past and present photos.
So, naturally, if you log on to any of your social media accounts right now, you’ll see plenty of your friends doing the same thing. Heck, you’ve probably done the same thing.
But here’s the thing. If you think your friends actually care about how you looked 10 years ago as opposed to today, you’re in for a rude shock.
News flash. They don’t care. Nobody cares.
This challenge is just a way for people to bask in their own self-love glory. Let’s be honest — it’s self-absorbed. You’re craving the Instagram comments telling you how great you look, you want the world to see that 10 years later, you look amazing so you therefore ARE amazing. How on earth did people in the 70s and 80s show their friends how great they looked? Heaven forbid!
Sadly, we now live in a world in which everything is already so overexposed and over-filtered — so this challenge shouldn’t even surprise us, right?
Instead of showing the world how you look 10 years later, why not tell the world what you’ve achieved 10 years later. The dream you had, that you tirelessly pursued, that you worked so hard for, and FINALLY accomplished.
This popular tweet by Helena Price is going viral for all the right reasons.
Let's try something different than what you looked like 10 years ago... What were you working on/trying to accomplish? How'd it work out? #10yearchallenge
— Helena Price (@helena) January 14, 2019
She asked people what they were trying to accomplish 10 years ago — and if it actually worked out for them. This tweet has had thousands of responses, people recounting how they followed their dreams, worked their butts off, and got to where they are today through determination and never giving up.
Don’t know about you guys, but that’s a far better challenge, don’t you think?
I’d like to think in ten years’ time, this stupid challenge doesn’t resurface. At the end of the day, looks aren’t everything. What is everything, is what you make of yourself, and how you live life.
Or we can all take a leaf out of Amy Schumer’s book. Have fun, and not take life — and superficial challenges — so seriously.