The Self-Performance of Opening a Laptop at Starbucks

When you go to Starbucks, there is a scene you are almost certain to see.
People spreading out their laptops and typing away with smug expressions.
In exchange for a single cup of coffee, they occupy a seat for hours, putting on a display of "me, working."

Do they really need to be doing that work in this place, right now?
The surroundings are filled with chatter, laughter, the sound of steaming milk, and background music.
Honestly, it is a pretty poor environment for work that requires concentration.

Even so, the reason Starbucks is chosen is clear.
It is because Starbucks is the stage where you can best perform the role of "someone who is working."

There is a certain aesthetic to the act of opening a laptop at Starbucks.
A MacBook, a paper cup, the store lighting, the glass-walled space.
The moment those elements come together, the symbol of being "high-consciousness" is complete.

The work they are actually doing is:
Emails that don't need an immediate reply,
Minor tweaks to shallow documents,
Repeatedly opening and closing Slack.

Even so, within themselves, they are left with the feeling that "I did my work properly today."
Because it is the atmosphere, not the results, that makes them think so.

The more someone works at Starbucks, the more they tend to leave their screen wide open.
Even when they get up to go to the restroom or the register,
As if to hang a sign that says, "I am currently working."

People who are truly focused
don't care about how they are seen by those around them.
In fact, they choose places where they won't be seen.

The reason they still insist on staying at Starbucks
is not for the sake of work, but for the sake of their desire for approval.

Starbucks is convenient and comfortable.
It is certainly suitable for short tasks or killing time while waiting.

But sitting there for hours,
and continuing to tap away at a computer,
looks less like "working"
and more like an adult playing pretend at working.

Intoxicated by the self that works at Starbucks,
watching the self that is working hard at Starbucks,
borrowing the Starbucks brand,
trying to slightly boost their own value.

People who are truly capable of working
can work without going to Starbucks.

Work that truly requires concentration
is not done at Starbucks.

Even so, today again,
to you, who opens your laptop at Starbucks:

That is not work.
It is self-performance.