Social media platforms, specifically TikTok, have recently become a cesspool of helplessly selfish people. The algorithm of these apps perfectly curates a “for you page” for a specific user, so that user only ever sees things that they are interested in. People have gotten so used to being fed content that they enjoy that seeing something outside of their comfort zone sparks a “but what about me?” response. This is the bean soup theory, a reminder that not everything is about us.
The bean soup theory originated on TikTok in 2023. A creator named Kara posted a recipe video for a bean soup that is filled with plant iron and supposedly can help with period symptoms. Awesome, right? Well, some people didn’t exactly think so. A commenter wrote, “but what if I don’t like beans?” and the bean soup theory was born. Basically, bean soup theory is the notion of “what about me?” or “what if I’m allergic to this?” or “that’s great, but this happened to me,” when instead one could just ignore the video or statement that doesn’t relate to them.
It’s normal to want to relate or not relate to things we see online. However, that’s nobody else’s problem other than our own. Not everything needs to be relevant to us, and that’s okay. Bean soup, for example, if you don’t like beans, don’t make the soup. If you don’t like coffee, don’t order a latte. If you’re scared of roller coasters, don’t go to the amusement park.Â
This isn’t a dig on inclusivity. I think that when there’s an easy modification or compromise, it should be taken advantage of. Don’t like coffee? Try chai or matcha. Scared of rollercoasters? Play the games at the amusement park instead. However, it’s unreasonable to request a replacement for beans in bean soup.
In the general public’s defense, the bean soup theory could be a result of declining literacy rates in the US. It has been reported that 54% of Americans read below a 6th-grade reading level. Although TikTok is video-based, literacy is what helps one understand the content they are viewing. The average social media user may not be literate enough to understand that they are not the intended audience of a video, or that a video is a generalization. So, they assume it is for them and are confused when it is not.Â
It’s a harsh but truthful reality that social media has created a generation of people who are too sensitive. We as a whole have become too reliant on social media algorithms showing us what we want to see, that irrelevant things sometimes cause discomfort. We should take the bean soup theory as a reminder that not everything should be about us; we don’t need to like or relate to things that we see online or in real life, and that’s ok. We should continue to encourage individualism and liking things because we like them, not because everyone else does.Â