Cultural Capital and Instagram

Not Bad Taste. Different Constraints.

I noticed a pattern on Instagram: people from developing countries post more luxury brands, more wealth displays, more selfies.
The common reaction: "Cringe."
I'd call it rational.

What is Cultural Capital?

Cultural capital is what money can't buy. The "right" accent. The "right" school. Knowing that talking about money is vulgar. Knowing that logos are tacky. Knowing that selfies should look accidental, not posed.
Some people learn these rules at home. Others learn by being laughed at.

Two Games

There are two games being played on the same platform.
Game A: Nobody knows you. Your credentials don't translate. Your background doesn't speak for you. Silence means invisibility. So you show. Wealth, face, proof you exist.
Game B: Everybody knows you. Your background has already spoken. Your family name, your school, your network—these establish credibility before you post anything.

The Paradox

Game B players show wealth too. A watch visible in the corner of a photo. A location tag from Saint-Tropez. A "casual" mention of where they summered.
But when they see a Game A post—luxury bag front and center, posed selfie, explicit display—they ask: "Why so obvious?"
Because they have to be. You didn't.

The Insight

When someone says "cringe," what they often mean is: "You're performing in a way I was taught to hide."
Every feed is a performance. Some just have better camouflage. And camouflage, too, is learned—taught by families, schools, and networks that Game A players don't have access to.
The difference isn't taste. It's constraint.

Positionality

I'm Japanese. Based in London. Sometimes insider. Sometimes outsider.
Enough to see both games—and to know when not to play.