Drop it like its bot
- Rachel Wasilewski
- Jul 2, 2021
- 2 min read
So I received an Instagram message back in May or June saying I had been nominated to apply for the Ms. Health & Fitness competition so I clicked on the link and filled a form applying. What probably happened was some magical little bot paid attention to my hashtags and sent me that link. I filled out the form because I thought, why not, magazine cover, 20 grand...low risk high reward. I have some fairly harsh very unhealthy body image issues and I am a raging introvert. I filled out the form to absolutely force myself out of a comfort zone and to come face-to-face with the mean girl that has residence in my brain always telling me how annoying I am to everyone, how disgusting I look, how my presence is an inconvenience and people would rather not see or interact with me. Trying to be "on" in front of others is exhausting. I didn't read the rules, timeline, nada. Because basically I assumed I'd be dead last and it would be a moot point.
Well, I wasn't last. I popped the link in insta and facebook when the competition started and low an behold, people liked me enough to to click a link. A few liked me enough to donate for extra votes. Y'all I was floored. Shocked. Confused. So the trainer asked if it was okay to market it with the gym...and I agreed thinking, who the hell reads those emails, no one is going to notice anyway, and if they do they won't recognize me (sometimes I forget about my hair color being a bit loud). People stop me in the gym and tell me they voted (if you are a gym person reading this...thank you very very much). People I've been nod friends with, you know those people you nod and smile and then you both move on...well now they stop and chat and wish me luck. I'm now friendly with folks. Me, the weird girl from 3rd period math, is making friends. All because of a bot
So the other day I added a few hashtags related to the competition to my Instagram, and I spent the entire day being harassed by bots trying to get me to pay for votes and promotion. Y'all I don't pay to promote this or any of my social media. It's a side hobby, a place to document my progress, and in some ways to get things out of my loud brain. Normally I kinda like my bots, they tell me I'm hot, they boost my ego...definitely would be the date you go on with because they make you feel pretty and its fun for like a date but that's it. These bots were mean and aggressive. I feel hashtag weary now.
If you made it this far into my ramblings, I'll throw in this video of step pyramid training on the incline press, single leg.
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