agonyaunt | (no subject)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I was visiting with a good friend recently and noticed as he was looking at his phone that he had been watching ear wax removal videos. I asked him about it because it looked like he had a lot of these videos open. It seemed weird and kind of gross to me, and I really couldn't figure out why this seemingly normal guy would be into something so nasty.

My friend got defensive when I asked him about it, and he told me that the videos are weirdly fun to watch. He got into it during the pandemic. He said he was looking at a different random video when one of the earwax ones popped up. One led to another, and he got hooked. I thought he was being particularly odd when he told me, but when I looked it up, I saw that there are many of them with huge numbers of views. This creeps me out. I feel like my friend has become somebody I don't even know. How can I get him to separate from this nasty stuff? -- Addicted to Earwax Videos

DEAR ADDICTED TO EAR WAX VIDEOS: According to TikTok, earwax videos have received more than 1.4 billion views since just 2020. It clearly is a trend that your friend has hit upon. While it seems gross to you, my research suggests that the big reveal of a clean ear at the end creates a level of satisfaction in some viewers after watching these things.

Rather than rejecting your friend or judging him for his choices, just move on. You do not have to think about or talk about this compulsion of his. It is not something that he will likely do when in your company. He probably got obsessed with it when he couldn't go out, and a social media algorithm then directed him to more and more of these videos.

By the way, the same thing happens these days no matter what your area of interest is. Whatever you look at, the algorithm will show you more ad nauseam. The way out is to put down your device and go out and live your life. Invite your friend to hang out with you. Stepping away from the electronics is a healthy alternative for everyone!

https://www.arcamax.com/healthandspirit/lifeadvice/senseandsensitivity/s-2565821

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Nothing Harriette said was wrong, per se, but obviously the correct answer is "Unless you and your friend both agree not to watch videos on your phones when hanging out together, MYOB - and stop looking at his phone!"

Touching someone else's phone is approximately as physically intimate as touching their hairbrush, assuming they take calls directly from their phone instead of using an earpiece or speakerphone. If you wouldn't touch someone's hairbrush, or snoop in their diary (especially in front of them!) don't touch or snoop in their phone.

The correct answer is, surely, "Introduce your friend to pimple-popping so as to vary his online watching."

Ooooooooooooooooh.

I want to make a joke about "well, it's none of your earwax" but I can't make it sound right in my head...

Why are people?

I know, right?

The level of judgement here is grossly disproportionate

the friend is acting as tho earwax videos are equivalent to eg videos of people distressing children or animals

but actually the earwax videos harm no one

"I don't wanna watch or talk about ear wax videos, but I'm glad you found something you're enjoying" is all LW needs to say