Understanding the Nuance of an “In’s & Out’s” List

Also Known As, What’s In and Out for In and Out Lists

by Matt Storti

I think it’s first important to establish what exactly ins and outs imply in this context. Are we trailing behind the avenue of broken dreams that are resolutions, or are we looking purely at popular culture and trend predicting? I think it’s the latter. Drawing the line between general statements and mindsets versus tangible fashions is important. Picking admirable themes or qualities to focus on in the new year is wonderful, encouraged actually, but in terms of this very niche social media craze not applicable. For example:

In: Daily movement Shopping sustainably Gut health

Out: Toxic friends Living paycheck to paycheck Self-hatred

(Yes these are all real, and I have the TikToks to prove them).

I mean…yeah? Sure, gut health can be “in”, but when was it ever out? For me, these are principles that we, as individuals, people with our own, personal digestive systems can incorporate into 2024. Again, I need to reiterate, that I am all for identifying and bettering current flaws, I do it every year. Last year’s mantra was “mindfulness in consumption”, but what I will say is that in this context, this specific genre of Instagram story or TikTok, these are a little bit… predictable. Give me ins and outs that could be swapped on your coworker’s list; no one in the history of ever has labeled their toxic friendships as “in” for that year. The way that bows took over the internet for the last three weeks of December, or how people actually created those, absolutely sinister, butter candles, I want to see that. Where is the fun in promoting things we already know we need to do? “In: cleaning hair that clogs the shower drain”, awesome. What a joyous and exciting endeavor for my first-year post-grad! Dig deeper. Ask yourself, what do I really want to see catapult into internet fame? What DIY are you in the mood to actually, realistically do? What did you see hanging on the rack at H&M that almost made you vomit? What tasteless fad do you need off of your phone screen immediately? I know you have some.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, isn’t that perpetuating the insatiable need to fly through trends at break-neck speeds, contributing to the endless consumerist behaviors that lead to global detriments that make us fearful of having children? Yes. Full stop. This brings me to my next point: in the overwhelming climate of popular culture we currently exist in, we need to acknowledge the challenge of purposeful “ins” and the power of “outs”. Where it takes a little bit of thought (God forbid) to curate a checklist of “ins” that assist in sustainable trends, the “outs are a place you can shove all of the excessive and useless ideas from previous months. That’s exactly what this thing is, in accordance with the new year, a fresh start, a chance to speak on what we didn’t like prior and set ourselves up for a personalized online space with room to grow within our individuality.

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Matt Storti (they/them) is a creative based in NYC and has been writing pop-culture pieces and reviews since they were in high school. Matt loves keeping up with trends, iconic pop-culture moments, and entertainment in the worlds of cinema, television, art, theatre, and fashion. As a writer, Matt approaches their work with a conversationalist style and humor. If you want to hear more from Matt, you can tune into their podcast “You Look, Good!” on Spotify & Apple Music.