Minus the City: Instagram Dilemma
Whatever happened to Jordin Sparks? I’ve clearly lost track of her, much to the dismay of my 12 year-old self. That is, until I found a song by her on Spotify. She’s making a comeback. Specifically on the Twerk It! playlist on Spotify, for those dying to know. I digress: if you haven’t heard of this playlist, look it up–you’re welcome. If you have, you’re not alone.
Expecting the American Idol era Jordin Sparks, I was shocked when listening to the lyrics of Sparks’ latest hit, specifically the chorus of line: “bet you won’t double tap that hoe.” Jordan Sparks is no longer singing with Chris Brown about living in a world with “no air” when he’s not around. Rather, she comes through with an edgy anthem with 2Chainz chiming in, as she calls him out for checking her out on Instagram and staying on the page because she’s his favorite—but he’s too afraid to show he likes her, and literally ‘like’ the photo with a double tap. See where I’m going with this?
Besides “Double Tap” having a great beat, I find myself humming the lyrics all too often. Sparks presents the modern day Instagram dilemma. You know what I’m talking about, it’s the you-follow-me-on-instagram-but-won’t-make-eye-contact-with-me-in-public dilemma. However, Sparks takes this issue to the next level, literally calling her bae out (in this case, 2Chainz), demanding that “if you like what you see then, you gotta let me know.”
It’s all too easy to hide behind a screen and scroll past before giving it a second thought, or to ask multiple opinions on whether or not it would be weird to like someone’s picture. It’s easy to be neurotic behind the screen, but not so much in person. With a real person in front of you, you don’t have the chance to second-guess your actions.
The bottom line: what happened to normal people flirting? Or liking, in this case? You can avoid an interaction on Instragram much to Jordin Sparks’ dismay, but not so much in person. In person, odds are you are giving off the vibes as to whether you like someone, one way or another. If you like someone, tell them. Even if you just like their outfit, tell them. And also like their Instagram while you’re at it. Consider this a call for being upfront and valuing real interaction—not just on social media. A cry for help. And an ode to Sparks’ lyrical genius. She’s done it yet again.