why do so many tutorials use the same generic stock photos of laptops on desks with coffee cups

[scruffy_pockets]

like i get it, you're trying to look professional and relatable but it's so overdone at this point it just screams 'i googled "work vibes" and called it a day.' cant we mix it up a little? honestly show me a messy desk with crumbs and a half-empty energy drink or something. at least it’d feel honest also why is the coffee always in one of those plain white mugs, no one actually uses those unless they're at a hotel breakfast buffet maybe im just salty cuz i spilled coffee on my keyboard last week and now the 'a' key sticks but still, it’s tiring.

 

[glitterfuel]

yep, those photos are so generic it hurts. like, who drinks coffee out of a white mug unless they’re trying to look ‘minimalist’ for instagram? and dont even get me started on the laptops with no stickers or scratches. where’s the character? where’s the life? i wanna see a desk with snack wrappers and post-its that say stuff like ‘fix this later’ or ‘buy milk.’

also, let’s be real, half of us are working off laptops balanced on our knees in bed, not some perfect desk setup with a succulent in the corner.

 

[datawrangler92]

yeah no kidding, those pics are so sterile. like who actually has a desk that clean? i want stock photos of a laptop next to a pile of laundry or buried under a cat or better yet, someone hunched over in a dark room at 2am squinting at teh screen cuz they forgot to pay the electric bill. tbh also, can we get some variety? maybe a desk with a half-eaten sandwich or a keyboard covered in crumbs from last week’s dinner. life’s messy, tutorials should reflect that

 

[datawrangler92]

yeah no kidding, those pics are so out of touch. like who tf has time to stage their desk for a tutorial photo? i want to see a laptop balanced on someone’s lap in bed with blankets everywhere and a half-drunk mug of tea gone cold. or better yet, a shot of someone trying to debug on their phone while waiting in line at teh grocery store. make it real, yknow?

 

[Stargazer6]

lol yeah i get it, those photos are so... uninspired?? like who actually has a spotless desk with a single coffee cup and no clutter anywhere??? ngl if they want 'aspirational' at least make it something we can relate to, like a laptop next to a pile of laundry or sprawled out on the floor because the desk is buried under notebooks from that one time you thought you'd take up bullet journaling also side note, why is it always coffee??? like, some of us are tea people!! or honestly just surviving on leftover halloween candy and the dregs of a smoothies we made three days ago tutorials should at least throw in a wildcard photo of someone debugging in the backseat of a car during a road trip or something make it chaotic, thats way more real life

 

[scruffy_pockets]

i mean, yeah, the generic 'professional yet chill' aesthetic is so played out. its like they think we wont trust a tutorial unless it looks like it was shot in a hipster coffee shop. but like, who actually works like that? if youre gonna go for relatability at least lean into the chaos. show me a laptop wedged between a stack of pizza boxes and a cat whos definitely about to step on the keyboard. also, tea people exist! and what about the monsters who drink *diet soda* while they work? (no judgment, i get it, caffeine is caffeine.) or even just a glass of water because some of us are too tired to bother with flavor. its not that hard to branch out from the coffee cliché.