How much are you willing to spend on your creature comforts?
TikTok user and self-professed "water snob" Ryan Dubs has the internet divided over how far is too far, and whether his efforts to sate his obsession in a green-conscious way are enough.
The conversation started after Dubs posted a video claiming he spends about two thousand dollars a month on bottled water because he "can't stand" the taste of tap water.
He insinuates dehydration is a real risk for him if he cannot have bottled water.
Ryan has been having large shipments of bottled water delivered to him for a while now - enough to keep his four high-end water fridges stocked at all times. The video shows him filling those refrigerators after his monthly shipment.
Initially he was having Fiji water shipped from a supplier, but he started to worry about all that single-use plastic.
In order to be more environmentally friendly, Dubs switched to a more expensive brand that comes in a glass bottle. He even chose a brand that he says is net carbon neutral to produce! The glass can theoretically be re-used and recycled more efficiently than the plastic can, but it's not a perfect solution.
That brand, Voss, comes in glass bottles and is net carbon neutral to produce - but it must be shipped to Ryan from Norway. So much for that carbon neutrality.
Dubs can clearly afford to pay what some pay in rent or mortgage on his bottled water habit. The video is accompanied with hashtags like #luxury, #wealthymindset, and #rich. His caption reads "It’s honestly a fashion accessory at this point" - a caption which many felt told the real story behind his brand switch.
His guests, he says, love being handed a cold glass bottle of water.
Viewers weren't impressed with his privilege and performative environmentalism.
Many pointed out that Ryan's argument against tap water doesn't add up. Voss is, essentially, imported tap water. It has regularly tested at levels and ranges easily reached with a simple filtration system - sometimes testing even poorer than normal tap water.
Ryan could have afforded several filtration systems by now.
Any environmental benefits of switching from plastic to glass Voss water were more than wiped out by the shipping and glass production, people argued. Not to mention the multiple large fridges he keeps running just to keep that water cold at all times rather than storing most of the water at room temp and putting bottles in the fridge as needed.
Environmentalism or Ego?
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Dubs didn't seem fazed by the negative comments.
In fact, he engaged a few times.
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He did find a few "supporters" in the comments - mostly people who agreed that they prefer bottled water over tap. A few people commented that he could do whatever he wanted with his money.
But #TeamRyan certainly lacked the same passion and unity that #TeamWTF has shown.
What do you see when you watch this video? Are you looking at a pretentious wealthy young man flaunting his privilege? Or do you see a misguided, but earnest, attempt at environmentalism?
Let us know in the comments.
Laura Michalski on Unsplash 
