Monkey See Monkey Do.

I find it very interesting to see what undergraduates who try to look cool do; it gives you a good sense of what's being prized in the culture at the moment.

A few years ago, I saw a number of undergrads try to start up knowing sex advice columns in the undergraduate newspaper, in the manner of Savage Love.

In the past year-and-a-half, though, some have started up food review columns, detailing their trips to food trucks and local restaurants and whatnot, esp. ambience, food quality, novelty of presentation and ingredients, etc.

Overall, I find that *disgusting*.  At a time when our society has so many problems, they're modelling themselves on bourgeois culinary aestheticism?  You hope that their being exposed to different types of people and the life of the mind would lead them to better options than that.  At least Savage Love has a kind of noble libertarianism of tolerance towards sexual minorities, coupled with worthwhile discussions of consent.

Instead, these kids are unthinkingly buying into a navel-gazing self-satisfaction over food, of all things, and identifying with the segments of society that can afford to regularly dine out and try out new restaurants.