A yen to return to simpler times is very understandable. Many of us expats who are several decades removed from the present reality of our home countries like to visit and return to the memories of what had been- often seen through rose-tinted glasses. We tell our kids stories of the simpler joys of our own childhood and don't go into details of that which was not so wonderful. My mother stayed at home and took care of the family. She sewed, knitted, and make all meals from scratch from locally sourced food - just like the current fad influencers are peddling. Her life was not simple or uncomplicated but it was very traditional. More importantly that was not the life she really wanted - it is what happened to her. That is story of many in her generation - maybe her mother's generation in the western world. The women did not opt-in.
Despite encouraging the lifestyle, there’s nothing particularly “trad” about the way some of these women present themselves online. They talk at length about being “homesteaders”, usually sprinkling in romantic notions of living on farms, raising animals, eating an all-natural diet, and sewing their own clothes.
It’s a far cry from what you see in some of their videos – modern kitchens and appliances, expensive ingredients, glamorous (store-bought) outfits. That’s not even to mention the fact that many of them don’t even live on farms, or aren’t married, or any of the other things they espouse the virtues of – they are, in effect, playing dress up. Many of them sell “trad”, vintage-inspired products through their websites so that you, too, can live out your mildest dreams.
Maybe young women are over-whelmed by the what needs to come true for them to even have a shot at marriage, family and motherhood. This is no longer an easy feat to achieve. It takes years to get to the level of financial stability when having baby is in the realm of possible. Often by then biology is not on the woman's side. It is also likely, she does not have the stable, loving and reliable partner she wants to commit to in marriage.
So dreaming about the imagined perfect life of her grandmother played out by an influencer is the closest she can come to her dream. This is the same reason by food and home improvement shows are so popular - people want to live vicariously and have what they desire but cannot have. I could live on dessert but know I would live too long if I did, so watching a baking show is my best bet - it definitely beats stress eating pastry in times of trouble.
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