Humble bragging. You know, when someone casually puts themselves down to highlight how great they actually are. Most of us have done it at one point or another, and with social media it can be seen with internet trends like the #DontJudgeMeChallenge.
For some reason, humble bragging has become popular in my school, and the problematic part is that it puts others down. It has become trendy for the most confident athletes with conventionally ideal body types to fake complain about how “fat” they are in order to receive showers of compliments from their peers.
For instance, a very tall, skinny runner who loudly announces how “fat” he is to his buddies in the middle of algebra class. This guy has well-defined abs for crying out loud. Or better yet, for example, the girls that Snapchat desserts and unhealthy meals with captions like “omg I’m so fat” when people very well know they are not.
Now don’t get me wrong, body dysmorphia is a serious condition and there are people who legitimately believe they are an unhealthy body weight when they are not. At the same time, there are many people who like taking the opportunity to rub their size in other people’s faces.
I’ll admit that I too have considered posting a picture of junk food with a similar caption, but my conscience would not let me. I feel like purposely calling oneself “fat” is a slap in the face to anyone who is actually struggling with weight problems or is insecure about their body. I care too much about my curvier friends to insult them by humble bragging.
Yes, humble bragging is one of the easiest ways to show off how fit you are. But at the same time, it can be hurtful to those who are less confident about their bodies. So please, fight the urge to fish for people’s compliments on your Insta post. Think twice before you caption.