The Captivation of Intimacy

One shower thought that happened to resonate with me recently has been the idea that we are attentive to what is true, but no one talks about. The taboo topics of society. These topics grab interest communally like no other, attracting large portions of individuals to the subject.

Through further observation, I had found that this philosophy stands true with intimate relationships. In the modern day of social media, we have become captivated with viewing intimate relationships, consuming the interactions between two individuals or a group, and pretending that we were there. A specific example can be seen with two particular YouTube channels, CUT and Jubilee.

They're well-known for their viral videos such as Truth or Drink (CUT), Blind Dates (CUT), Middle Ground (Jubilee), Tea for Two (Jubilee), and Both Sides (Jubilee), among others. The content posted on these two channels have applied the idea of people being captivated by intimate relationships or interactions and have accumulated millions of views as a result.

Unlike the video above between two people who have opened up, making themselves vulnerable to not only one another but the millions of consumers, the word intimate doesn't have to be romantic. Anyone can have an intimate relationship with different people in their lives, such as friends and family. The association of intimacy with romance has been developed due to the quality of the relationship between star-crossed lovers in comparison to friends and some family members.

So, why are we inherently captivated with intimacy? It is actually because, for the majority of humans, intimacy is common in our lives. We have all been intimate with one person or another. A parent, a friend or a romantic lover. A sense of relatability is what many corporations try to achieve in order for consumers to gravitate to their product over others. So, why are we captivated when we have already experienced intimacy? Well, as you may know, humans aren't especially known for settling for less, hence our insatiable urge to consume more intimacy.

It is also important to add that with YouTube videos such as the one above, the reason they get millions of views is that of how hard it is to achieve an intimate relationship. With real people, you have to engage them, putting forth not only effort, but the risk of being hurt as a result of becoming vulnerable to necessitate an intimate relationship. So, like the "modern" humans we are, it is easier and safer for us to resort to technology to fulfill these needs, watching others being intimate without personal risk.

With intimacy on the global stage of social media, the content of intimacy posted represents the status quo on how to be intimate. This creates a goal or blueprint for those who wish to become intimate with someone, leaning towards the intimacy of others to achieve their own satisfaction. Just imagine being that awkward boy at school, wishing to ask out that girl you've been crushing on for years (or vice versa, or in any combination—it's 2019, after all). You may not know how to go about approaching this new situation. This is where platforms that teach intimacy teach the necessary conversational steps to do so. So, when that kid sees the successful path to intimacy, he/she/it becomes confident to ask out their crush. Even if that person says no, crushing their soul, at least they did it.

Just like how I mentioned how intimacy can be relatable, people who were intimate with someone may use another's intimacy to reminisce their previous events. Memories are powerful, with the person wanting to relive those powerful moments.

So, basically, we're way too lazy to form our own relationships, which kinda sucks. But hey, get out there and take risks and say f*** it.