Is the ‘Little Treat’ Culture Taking Away Our Ability to Live Simply and Authentically?

**Rephrased and SEO Optimized:**

Okay, I have a confession: TikTok’s latest craze — the ‘little treat’ trend — has pushed me over the edge. I’m very conscious of sounding like Piers Morgan ranting about ‘snowflakes’ as I type this, but please stick with me for a moment. Why have we reached a point where buying a coffee to cheer yourself up is content-worthy, or starts a trend followed by thousands? Or perhaps, more to the point: have we forgotten how to enjoy simple pleasures without documenting or trendifying every. Single. Thing?

Not everything needs to be an aesthetic. While I appreciate that times are tough (seriously, imagine ending the month not in debt), and the little treat culture has a cute message about self-love and finding gratitude in small things, I just can’t anymore. Lighting a candle, making lemon-infused water, or reading a book on a freshly made bed isn’t a ‘vanilla girl aesthetic’. It’s just lighting a candle, drinking water, or reading a book. Simple pleasures can be enjoyed offline without needing to look a certain way. It’s like we’ve entered an era of the most boring yet addictive form of reality TV imaginable.

Personally, my sheets are wrinkled and sometimes I like to sit on them drinking an Irn Bru (come through, Scottish genes) while reading a non-aesthetic trashy real-life magazine. What do we call that, goblin mode? And why does it feel less enjoyable when I think about the fact it wouldn’t make an inspirational reel? I worry that we’re all forgetting how to live without the pressure of doing it for the gram.

This conversation has come up in my friend circle too, as we dissected the craze to stick ‘core’ at the end of everything (see cottagecore, regencycore, normcore, etc.).

But wait – could there be something deeper behind this? Is our obsession with TikTok culture and lifestyles driven by something less vain? According to experts, yes. We’re all lonely ghosts wandering the hallways of social media, trying to find a connection and happiness. And what better way to do that than by tapping into simple pleasures and daily moments that unite us?

Noël Wolf, a language and TikTok expert at Babbel, believes that our need to hashtag the most basic activities could signal collective loneliness and underlying fears about the state of the world. The Office of National Statistics reports that over one million people aged 16 to 29 experience ‘chronic loneliness’ – heartbreaking indeed.

“The rise of TikTok has seen a proliferation of subcultures, from BookTok and GymTok to the niche and wonderful, like WitchTok,” Wolf points out. “These subcultures create a sense of community and a shared vocabulary for common experiences.”

She adds that while it’s easy to eye-roll, “maybe we should embrace trends that bring people together.” However, Wolf warns of potential mental health repercussions. “Turning every meal or leisure activity into an expression of solidarity with an online subculture could lead to overthinking our routines.”

Toby Ingham, a UKCP registered psychotherapist, has concerns about our warped approach to simple moments. “Are we really enjoying things if we’re filming them, or just doing them to fit the trend?”

Ingham stresses the importance of experiencing life authentically. “The freer we are to enjoy spontaneous pleasures, the more authentic our lives will be,” he says.

So, while TikTok subcultures serve a purpose (sorry for calling you out, little treat lovers – you deserve that matcha latte), it’s probably best not to pay too much attention to them long-term. By the time you upload your post, the internet will have moved on anyway. And let’s not follow any trend that impacts the enjoyment of an Irn Bru, served with a slice of true crime,on sheets that would make a vanilla aesthetic lover cringe.