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Chore police: Why we love watching people run errands
From grocery and coffee runs to laundry sessions – here’s why we’re obsessed with Reels of people doing their daily chores
Turns out, the secret to a fulfilling life isn’t a villa in Tuscany or a beach holiday in the Maldives. It’s buying lemon-scented detergent from the supermarket, picking up an iced latte, and making it home before traffic gets worse. Thanks, Instagram, for rebooting our fantasies.
Even the algorithm is excited about housework. We’re seeing Reels in which one person is placing bananas, chips, and instant noodles into a grocery basket with the calm reverence usually reserved for a Japanese tea ceremony. Another Reel has someone deep-cleaning their kitchen. A corporate employee is documenting their “5 to 9 before their 9 to 5”. These people aren’t celebrating a milestone or on vacation. They are filming themselves going about their day. And yet, thousands of people are watching.
Social media (and family photo albums) trained us to believe that only the big moments deserved to be documented. But ordinary is content-worthy too – and we’re starting to celebrate it.
So, yes. Witness us in repair mode, see what we add to our 3am BlinkIt cart, follow our decluttering routine, stay with us as we ride the Aqua Line metro on Sunday afternoon. “What makes people gravitate towards everyday-life content is that they see a bit of themselves in it. Or they see the aspirational value of being able to do it,” says Mumbai-based Taashi Thukral, brand manager and content creator (@TaashiThukrall). Thukral’s posts started out showcasing her marketing shoots. But she has also covered what she eats through the workday, the vibe at a protest in Mumbai, and her fits on a trip to Thailand. It’s not glam. “But it was important for me to show what daily life actually looks like. And that people who have a regular identity and a regular job can still have a super fun life.”
It’s a punch back at hyper-stylised videos of even three years ago, when influencers were careful to airbrush every sign of humdrum reality from their feeds. The bedrooms in the back of older beauty tutorials used to be lit by fairy-lights – not a pink cushion out of place. Now, ugly tubelights are in the frame (as is a pile of washed-but-not-folded laundry), the beauty video itself is about how much hair gets caught on the flat brush with every use. Sneaker collectors no longer show off a backlit kicks wall. Instead a Reel takes the walker’s POV, showing the same trusty Sambas walking to the veggie shop, dodging every ditch en route. Lowbrow, banal, perfect.
It’s still complicated to shoot, says Thukral. She keeps her clips short and peppy. “I’m not trying to educate you, teach you something, change your opinion, or confuse you. It’s just 15-to-20 seconds of everyday life which acts as a sort of breathing space in an ocean of content,” she says.
Rimpa Sarkar, director of Sentier Wellness, says that watching everyday life unfold on screen creates a kind of psychological safety. “It requires little emotional effort to process. For those who live alone, work remotely, or experience loneliness, these videos can create a quiet sense of companionship,” she says.
Alongside, it redefines the internet’s obsession with authenticity – it’s finally all right to be basic, and not be original and extraordinary every moment of our waking lives. The popularity of errand content suggests that young people value balance, and emotional connection over perfection and hustle, says Sarkar. “There is great fatigue from constant comparison. Watching someone’s daily routine creates a sense of shared human experience. Connection is gradually becoming more valuable than perfection.”
As Thukral puts it, the only thing you can control is the boring stuff. It explains why watching strangers buy tomatoes feels weirdly comforting. It’s a reminder that most of life unfolds not in the artificial glow of the ring light but in supermarket aisles, neighbourhood cafés, and the overlooked rituals in between.
From HT Brunch, August 15, 2026
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