Is virality ruining everything?

As more of us turn to social media for recommendations, is the joy of a hidden gem at risk of extinction? 

I used to have a thing for secrecy, at least when it came to food. I revelled in the smug satisfaction of knowing about a low-lit bar that only opens two days a week, or the ramen place tucked behind a dry cleaners that doesn’t accept card. I believed in hidden gems, in things being earned: through word of mouth, luck, or the subtle gesture of a kind stranger.

Now I open TikTok when I want a recommendation. Whether I’m looking for somewhere to eat, dance, or travel – social media has become the word of authority on all things fun. But the undesired side effect of this strategy is that most of my favourite local spots are now almost always trending. What was once a quiet venue has a queue snaking around three postcodes, and places I used to stroll into require a reservation weeks in advance.

This isn’t a local tragedy. Virality has become the new michelin star, except it requires no credentials or mystery. We no longer eat to eat, we eat to document. We travel to replicate the experience of others we follow online, rather than to discover things of our own accord.

My perspective might sound dramatically pessimistic, but I’m firm in my belief that virality is ruining everything. And yes, I am completely aware that in enjoying something I, too, am part of the problem. Who am I to say other people aren’t entitled to enjoy a venue simply because ‘I knew about it first’? But I’m still allowed to find the whole thing incredibly annoying. Let me stew in my self-pity for a second here.

Dazed magazine’s Tanya Bush captures my sentiment with deadpan brilliance in her latest pastry quest, where she visits several viral bakeries across New York and reviews their fare.

Once a devout follower of the edible algorithm herself, Bush recalls queuing for over an hour to try one of the popular cookie shot glasses. But having become a pastry chef herself, this love of desserts has taken a beating, transforming what was once a fantasy into an excuse for monetised content.

But despite recognising that what constitutes a viral pastry is often just a flashy ‘hybridisation’ of multiple desserts, or a ‘mash-up so distorted you can no longer remember what the original components were supposed to taste like,’ Bush reflects on the ways social media can give us a new kind of dining experience altogether.