This was so interesting, and I had noticed this overuse of 'whimsy' recently too and couldn't put my finger on why it irked me so much. You've perfectly encapsulated it and more!
One of my mums favourite words to use to describe basically cute things was 'whimsical' (an adjective, used correctly), so I liked that word too, but now it just makes me cringe, which I hate! Internet give me back my favourite word!
when I was writing this, I struggled with the definition of whimsy... it means so many different things across different contexts. I guess that's kind of the point though? that this phrase has been co-opted by so many different trends I can't even concisely talk about it without going into its own rabbit hole
Sorry if you already knew this and were just making a joke, but it’s funny to me that “cycles” is used outside of tech. I think it must come from synchronous circuits where operations are synchronized by a clock cycling between high and low. CPU instructions can be measured in clock cycles, e.g. adding two numbers might take one cycle whereas finding a square root might take five cycles. So measuring human work in “cycles” seems like a literal example of digital life informing social life
Unfortunately I feel like the whimsy movement is anything but anticapitalist :( I’m constantly seeing lists of “whimsy” outfits/accessories/trinkets/home decor items you NEED RIGHT NOW!! It bugs me that they use the word wrong in the first place, but it makes it even worse to suggest that whimsy is something that can be bought on Amazon
as someone that works in comms (formally, focusing on ‘social’ media), it kills me that
1. comms (aka communications) has been abbreviated in such a way that it’s abstracted. it’s literally jargon.
2. social media -> ‘socials’. and now we have a plurality to encompass these platforms that, to your point, do not at all encompass being social, and to your other point, is an adjective that has been bastardised into a noun.
The second someone makes a guide to being spontaneous, the thing is already dead. You cannot schedule a whim. You cannot optimise wonder. You cannot moodboard your way into surprise.
Excellent again - I love the way you have deconstructed and explained the weird jumpy random walk that is the internet screwing up language.
I wonder if another part of the dynamic is that everyone - from Substack writers through to established journalists - is desperate to be read in an ever more crowded market. And likely a very good way to do that is to appropriate whichever suffix or idea seems du jour to whatever you are writing about. So a cheese blogger one week will write "Nobody talks about cheese" and then next will write "Cheesemaxxing is my guilty pleasure" and so on and so on.
I work in TV development, and there's a parallel in commissioning strategies - everything is ordered and titled out of (massively increasing) desperation to catch whatever audience they can.
Like you say there's always weather. People desperately put their sails out to catch whichever wind is blowing. I guess who can blame them?
I actually have voiced the exact same points about the origin of the word and how absolutely ear grating this whole truly capitalist and wellness grifter-y butchering of the word is on the latest episode of my podcast! I’d really appreciate if you listened to it and shared you thoughts, The Feminominal on Spotify
Hi everyone! I’m Sharissa. I recently started writing on Substack because I wanted somewhere to explore ideas beyond LinkedIn. If you’re interested in leadership, business, cyber, AI, governance, or organisational resilience, I’d love to connect and read your work too.
This was so interesting, and I had noticed this overuse of 'whimsy' recently too and couldn't put my finger on why it irked me so much. You've perfectly encapsulated it and more!
One of my mums favourite words to use to describe basically cute things was 'whimsical' (an adjective, used correctly), so I liked that word too, but now it just makes me cringe, which I hate! Internet give me back my favourite word!
when I was writing this, I struggled with the definition of whimsy... it means so many different things across different contexts. I guess that's kind of the point though? that this phrase has been co-opted by so many different trends I can't even concisely talk about it without going into its own rabbit hole
I was an adult in the 90s. Don't remember anyone using that word at all during that time period
Ok
Sorry if you already knew this and were just making a joke, but it’s funny to me that “cycles” is used outside of tech. I think it must come from synchronous circuits where operations are synchronized by a clock cycling between high and low. CPU instructions can be measured in clock cycles, e.g. adding two numbers might take one cycle whereas finding a square root might take five cycles. So measuring human work in “cycles” seems like a literal example of digital life informing social life
oh my god thank you so much for sharing — I had no idea!!! I wonder if the people using this term know about this...
Menstrual cycles?
Unfortunately I feel like the whimsy movement is anything but anticapitalist :( I’m constantly seeing lists of “whimsy” outfits/accessories/trinkets/home decor items you NEED RIGHT NOW!! It bugs me that they use the word wrong in the first place, but it makes it even worse to suggest that whimsy is something that can be bought on Amazon
really lovely read, thank you for sharing. so much to think about!!
as someone that works in comms (formally, focusing on ‘social’ media), it kills me that
1. comms (aka communications) has been abbreviated in such a way that it’s abstracted. it’s literally jargon.
2. social media -> ‘socials’. and now we have a plurality to encompass these platforms that, to your point, do not at all encompass being social, and to your other point, is an adjective that has been bastardised into a noun.
i would love to interact with media that's actually social!!
great read thank you :)
Thank YOU
The second someone makes a guide to being spontaneous, the thing is already dead. You cannot schedule a whim. You cannot optimise wonder. You cannot moodboard your way into surprise.
Excellent again - I love the way you have deconstructed and explained the weird jumpy random walk that is the internet screwing up language.
I wonder if another part of the dynamic is that everyone - from Substack writers through to established journalists - is desperate to be read in an ever more crowded market. And likely a very good way to do that is to appropriate whichever suffix or idea seems du jour to whatever you are writing about. So a cheese blogger one week will write "Nobody talks about cheese" and then next will write "Cheesemaxxing is my guilty pleasure" and so on and so on.
I work in TV development, and there's a parallel in commissioning strategies - everything is ordered and titled out of (massively increasing) desperation to catch whatever audience they can.
Like you say there's always weather. People desperately put their sails out to catch whichever wind is blowing. I guess who can blame them?
Such a thought-out and thought-provoking article. Thanks for sharing
I actually have voiced the exact same points about the origin of the word and how absolutely ear grating this whole truly capitalist and wellness grifter-y butchering of the word is on the latest episode of my podcast! I’d really appreciate if you listened to it and shared you thoughts, The Feminominal on Spotify
Hi everyone! I’m Sharissa. I recently started writing on Substack because I wanted somewhere to explore ideas beyond LinkedIn. If you’re interested in leadership, business, cyber, AI, governance, or organisational resilience, I’d love to connect and read your work too.