By Kimberly Alexsandra Madrigal
This is my personal, parasocial phenomenon of “the mutual.”
I thought this was something only my brain rot-ass experienced, but after asking some friends — and even some mutuals about it — I realized I’m not alone, and a lot of other students here are Instagram mutuals with other students they also don’t really know in real life. They agree it’s like a celebrity sighting walking past them on campus — yet they all wonder the same question, “is it weird if I say hi in real life?”
Then I wondered; Is this just a Humboldt experience? Has hiding from the world amongst the redwoods made us too shy and nervous to actually converse with others in real life? Especially ones we see and actively engage with on social media daily?
Or is it just our generation’s version of having acquaintances in this digital age?
Whatever it is, it’s entertaining and I love it.
My mutuals are my favorite influencers – you’re like my own personal celebrity. I don’t know you or your past, I just skipped right into seeing you in your hottie college girl era and I love it, pookie.
Whether we met on the Humboldt ‘26 Insta, the Arcata Theater Lounge bathroom line, or we haven’t even met at all; if we follow each other and heart each other’s stories constantly, we’re locked in.
I get to see the best parts of your life — you learning how to DJ, your art, your new nails, your matcha of the day and maybe even a hard launch of your current man.
In exchange, you get to see my fit checks, magnificent music recs and, of course, my wonderfully curated reposts of deep-fried Facebook memes.
The coolest part is, we don’t speak, we just love — each other’s stories. God, I love girlhood.
Sometimes, if you’re a great moot — cute nickname for mutual, duh — like me, you get promoted to Close Friends status. That is where you get an all-access backstage pass into the psyche of a girl.
This is where we see more than macarons and ramos buchones. This is where we see the non-aesthetic chaotic content that I live for. The moot reconnects with the earth after blacking out on a jazz Thursday at The Basement. She frequently misses flights, manically cuts baby bangs after a breakdown and buys a new pair of shoes every week. A rich old man invited her on his yacht in Greece and she vlogged it all for us?! Oh, don’t forget the time she burned soup and ruined her evil roommate’s great grandma’s cherished pot.
She’s an icon — and I’m lowkey starstruck when I see her. I forget she’s not just my niche personal celebrity, but a real person and we go to the same school. Do I smile and wave hi when I see her at the gym, the farmers market or a Manila function? Or is that too weird? Am I giving fan? Ugh, idk.
It’s like I have a behind-the scenes look into your life, but I don’t really know you — but that’s also kind of like the best part. The mysteriousness just adds to the coolness.
Your life is a movie, darling, and I have a free screening of it all from the cracked screen of my iPhone 14 and the comfort of my twin XL mattress.
I will be very offended and heartbroken the day you unfollow me and I still follow you. What about all we had? Was that nothing to you? But then my inner #hater will rise over and unlike every single post, take back all the loving vibes I ever sent you telepathically and send you ojo, aka the evil eye. You’re not Nicki Minaj — I am!
Kimberly Alexsandra Madrigal is a 3rd year journalism student from Fresno, CA. She enjoys classic cars, fashion, shoes, Amy Winehouse and romanticizing life.
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