Words by: Nate Leboeuf
Graphic by: Samuel George
It’s a hard truth that most young people will be working in a corporate job after they graduate (no matter how terribly they wish they weren’t). With pressure from parents to be successful and hours of cover letters, the job search is already far from a magnanimous process. The need to suppress our expression of ourselves and our bodies only makes us more full of despair as we navigate essential life changes. The process of “adulting” is a bleak experience for most individuals. Although getting older comes with newfound freedoms, we also jump through the hoops of conformity that seem as essential as getting a bachelor’s degree.
Even once we get hired, the issue of filtering ourselves online is necessary. Employers will brag about their work cultures while creating an environment of monotony and banality. The way that we spend our time and how we present ourselves when we are off the clock should be entirely our own prerogative, so long as it does not harm anyone’s physical or mental wellbeing. This is true especially because the things we post online have no effect on our performance in the workplace. What’s the harm in, after a long work week of spreadsheets and Outlook notifications, throwing on a tight shirt and posting a thirst trap? Has a smoky eye and a lingerie mirror selfie ever truly worsened anyone’s performance or work ethic at their job?
The reason for this discourse is most likely due to the generational gap between those handing out paychecks and those fighting to get them. Young people have used the digital space as a way to feel confident in their bodies, which is met with shame and disgust from bosses all over. As a result, we are expected to follow the modest value system of those who grew up in a different time from us, and the power dynamic doesn’t give us much leeway.
There is a dichotomy in thinking that also adds great pressure on young adults who are in their most formative years. Social media is a powerful tool, and we don’t know how to wield it or how authentic we are really allowed to appear. We must appeal to both the HR coordinators around the globe, as well as the other hip 20-somethings online that we never feel confident around to begin. Our Instagram’s and LinkedIn’s both require constant updates and they couldn’t be any more different in what we share and how we share it. When our social and professional lives require two different personas, it’s a mystery how anyone is supposed to discover their identities. As long as body confidence is shamed by those with authority, we’ll keep those mirror pics in our camera rolls and carry on.