Social:Bean soup theory
Bean soup theory, also known as bean soup effect or what about me effect, describes the phenomenon where someone outside of a target audience attempts to seek accommodations for their personal tastes or situation, a form of the spotlight effect.[1] The term originates from a controversy around comments on a bean soup recipe video asking for a version of the recipe without beans. It has been used to show the prevalence of egocentrism on social media.[2]
Origin
The term was coined in 2023 after a video by TikTok user Vibinggranolamom received critical comments. The video was a vegan bean soup recipe made for women with anemia.[3] The video received comments expressing dislike for the use of beans and asking for a substitute for them.[4] Vibinggranolamom posted a follow-up to the video, stating that she "doesn’t really have a sub for the beans" and that "there’s a lot of high-iron foods out there though."[5] Discussions around the comments led user Sarahthebookfairy to coin the term The What About Me Effect to describe the controversy.[6]
Cause
A common cause given for the theory is that algorithms cater to the user's interests to the point that it makes them self-centered.[7] The phenomenon has also been attributed to unhealthy amounts of time on social media and the loss of third places.[8]
See also
References
- ↑ "Welcome to the era of 'meism' where everything is suddenly about you - Cosmopolitan India" (in en). https://www.cosmopolitan.in/life/features/story/welcome-to-the-era-of-meism-where-everything-is-suddenly-about-you-1291337-2025-10-20.
- ↑ "What Is the “Bean Soup Theory” on TikTok?" (in en-US). https://www.insidehook.com/internet/bean-soup-theory-tiktok.
- ↑ "Viral bean soup recipe prompted the internet to break down ‘what about me’ effect" (in en). 2023-09-26. https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/tiktok-what-about-me-effect-soup-b2419028.html.
- ↑ "The Bean Soup Theory" (in en-US). 2025-09-29. https://www.hercampus.com/school/west-chester/the-bean-soup-theory/.
- ↑ "How The 'Bean Soup Fiasco' Shined A Light On The Frightening Sociology Of Social Media" (in en-US). 2023-10-05. https://www.delish.com/food-news/a45446065/tiktok-bean-soup-what-about-me/.
- ↑ "How A Viral Bean Soup Recipe Sent TikTok Into A Tizzy" (in en). 2024-02-20. https://www.bustle.com/life/bean-soup-incident.
- ↑ Harman, Elena. "The Bean Soup Effect: Individualism has gone too far". https://reflector-online.com/12494/opinion/the-bean-soup-effect-individualism-has-gone-too-far/.
- ↑ "The “what about me?” effect and hyperindividualism | New University | UC Irvine" (in en-US). 2024-05-05. https://newuniversity.org/2024/05/05/the-what-about-me-effect-and-hyperindividualism/.
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