Internet superstition: confessions of a realist who saves IG posts for good luck

collage of superstitious imagery including fortune cookies, zodiac dice, tea leaves

Credit: Getty

Opinion


Internet superstition: confessions of a realist who saves IG posts for good luck

By Lauren Geall

3 years ago

3 min read

Are ‘like for good luck’ posts an evolution of the chain mail that circulated on platforms such as Hotmail and MSN during the early years of the internet, or does this trend say more about our collective state of mind after such a stressful few years?

As much as I love being creative and listening to my emotions, I’ve always been a realist at heart. It’s just the way my mind works – while I enjoy ‘dreaming big’ and coming up with new ideas, I tend to harbour scepticism towards anything that’s not based in fact. 

But despite all of this, there is a very small part of me that wants to believe. I don’t have a big collection of crystals, and you won’t find me reading my horoscope on a daily basis. But I do have one element of non-realism I find myself indulging in more often than I’d like to admit: engaging with superstitious posts on social media. 

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