I don’t know if you’ve heard of this term, but I find it fascinating. Are you using Gatsbying? We’ll figure it out by the end of this article. But first, we need to explain it, right?
The name is actually a reference to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel, The Great Gatsby. If you’ve read the book before or watched the movie, you’ve already connected the dots. However, for those of you who don’t know it yet, the story is about young Jay Gatsby.
He was a self-made millionaire, and the novel talks about his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman he was in love with. Like every story about extraordinary love, this one also doesn’t have a happy ending. However, we won’t go into detail here, but do yourself a favor and get familiar with it.
Anyways, Gatsby did everything in his power to make Daisy notice him, even throwing marvelous parties at his place. He would invite all of their acquaintances and friends, desperately hoping that she’d also show up.
To prevent myself from revealing too many details and spoiling the plot, I’ll stop here. But you’ve probably made a connection by now, so let’s get into the signs that you’re guilty of Gatsbying.
5 clear-cut signs you’re Gatsbying
With social media evolving and our lives constantly changing, I guess it’s inevitable that new dating trends arise as well. Some of the terms used to describe them are cringe-worthy, but it seems like most people are gladly accepting them.
One of them is Gatsbying and I guarantee you that it will exist as long as Instagram, Snapchat, or any other similar popular social networking services. Basically, you keep using your social media profiles just to get someone’s attention.
Okay, now that you have a clear idea of what Gatsbying really is, let’s go through the signs.
How many times have you posted a photo or video on your social media profiles, just so a specific person can see it? Be honest, I won’t judge you. I’m guilty as charged and not ashamed to admit it. If you’ve done this too, you were actually Gatsbying and not even aware of it (neither was I!)
Let’s say you’re out with your girls and you want your crush to see that you’re at his favorite place, enjoying listening to live music. You quickly take your phone out, capture the moment, and publish it on your Insta story.
After some time, you take your phone out, open your profile, and swipe up on the picture to see if he’s reacted. Do you do a happy dance once you see he’s hearted it? Now it’s time for a selfie so he knows how glamorous you look.
2. You daydream a lot
Okay, so he liked your post, commented on the landscape photo from his favorite viewpoint, AND reacted to your story. This kind of means he’s going to slide into your DMs, isn’t that wonderful? Sure, but this is where the “problem” actually starts.
If you’re already thinking about your perfect future together and daydreaming about all the things that could happen, you’re actually Gatsbying. Thinking about the adventures you may share together is not making you less guilty, so don’t even go there.
3. You get nervous when you don’t take a good photo
Do you get all worked up whenever you don’t take a good enough photo? You’ve gotten used to publishing one photo a day and today luck is not on your side. Your camera’s not cooperating, the lighting is all wrong and it seems like it’s never been so difficult to take a selfie. And you’ve got writer’s block, so you’re all out of caption options…
But you have to do it! He’s going to check his social media around noon and he has to see your photo in the stories he’ll be checking out. You have to constantly be in his mind and you can’t allow a bad hair day to stop you from capturing that dazzling smile of yours.
Do you know who his best friend is? Are you already familiar with his social circle and you clearly know that he went out with his cousin tonight? How is this even possible? Are you a professional stalker?
I hope not. I mean, I know that every girl turns into an FBI agent when she needs details about her crush, but don’t overdo it.
Make sure you’re not sending him mixed signals, because since you’re liking his friends’ posts, he may think that you’re only being friendly with him too. So, take the reins if you notice that he likes you. You can do it!
5. You’re thinking about your crush while reading this
Let’s face it, you had one specific person in your mind the whole time you were reading this article, didn’t you? Assuming you did, try moving past Gatsbying. Being rejected is not a big deal, but hurting your feelings with your own fantasies can be pretty dangerous.
You’re going to break your heart repeatedly and he won’t even know it. Move slowly if it feels better, and start commenting on his photos or stories first. Later on, you can try to get out of the talking stage (because inevitably you’ll start chatting) and advance to a higher level.
Good luck!
Leave a comment