What is it about social media and food? Why do people feel the need to share their #EEEEEATS with the world? Why is my Instagram feed a stream of pictures from friends, lifestyle brands, fitness personalities and famous foodies? You would think—based on my Instagram, Netflix queue and DVR list—that I was a person adamant about healthy living and home-cooked meals. And yet as I write this, I’m waiting for my microwave pizza to heat up. Only 30 seconds left!
I am a self-professed foodie. Coming from a family that is both Italian and Jewish—cultures known for their amazing cuisines—my favorite memories have happened in the kitchen and around the dinner table. However, most days I’m more satisfied looking at FoodPornDaily and BuzzFeed Tasty videos than actually making any real meal for myself. I’m happier watching Netflix Originals—like Chef’s Table and Cooked—and Bravo’s Top Chef, literally salivating as I watch then plan a fun evening with friends at a great restaurant. I tell myself that I don’t have the time or the money… but is this really true? Research may say otherwise. ABC News reported in 2014 that fast-food drive thrus not only cost the consumer more money than a home-cooked meal, but also took longer to get.
At the end of the day, we millennials are lazy. While I want to believe my friends and I are passionate and driven individuals—no one can binge-watch television shows better than a college student who still needs to finish his/her work—it seems as though we randomly pick and choose when food is worth our time. I’ll wait in line for an hour and a half to buy four cookies from Levain Bakery in NYC but can’t seem to find the time to clean my dishes, opting for on-the-go snack foods instead. As Business Insider writer Kate Taylor states: “Almost 40% of millennials surveyed by Mintel said that cereal was an inconvenient breakfast choice, because they have to clean up after eating it…” While this statement seems ridiculous, it’s kind of true. We millennials compose a group that wants things delivered quickly. Our mindset seems to be more geared towards “instant” rather than “slow-cooked.”
While I don’t seek to make sweeping generalizations about millennials—perhaps you are an individual who still buys their own coffee beans to grind and brew yourself—I think that our combined obsession with social media publication and warp-speed satisfaction has led to a detrimental decline in true enjoyment. It seems we’ve traded in real-world interactions with virtual “likes” and comments. I’ll tag my friends in Instagram posts saying “YUM” instead of actually organizing a time to have a foodie experience with them. We’ll sacrifice health sometimes if it means greater convenience.
Let’s change this attitude, Bucknellians! I dare you to make one of those Instagram meals you salivate over and tag your friends in. I bet if you went to the supermarket, grabbed a few ingredients and shared a freshly prepared meal with a few of your friends would be more meaningful and create more memories than going to the drive-thru and picking up something “quick.” You could even cook for yourself on Sunday, and have meals ready to eat for the rest of the week—saving time and money! Let’s prompt lunch/dinner table conversations rather than online blog forums. We DO have time for cooking. Put down your screens, stop dialing your usual take-out place, and spend a little more time making something that will give you not only joy but also a sense of accomplishment.
Want some inspiration?
I suggest you follow: The Infatuation, FoodInTheAir, BuzzFeedTasty and BucknellDining
Have a Netflix account? Watch: Chef’s Table and Cooked
Sources: