We do it for the insta
If we went out with our friends or went on vacation without posting an Instagram, did it really ever happen??
Remember a time when we used to go out with our friends and just enjoy the night without worrying about how many likes our Instagram we took earlier was getting?
Or a time where no one was worried about taking 30 minutes to take the perfect photo that’s not too posed but not too candid? Or on top of that spending another 15 minutes stressing about what filter looks best: amaro or mayfair?
Yeah, neither do I.
This generation, especially girls (me included) seems to do everything for the insta. Or just the photo in general.
Perfect example: if you are a guy and you were to go to a party or event with a large group of girls this series of events is almost GUARANTEED to happen:
The magic question: The girls will ask you or one of your friends to take a picture of them.
The swarm: The owner of the phone will take it from you, almost immediately after the photo is clicked, and the other girls will swarm around her phone like it is free Starbucks
The critique: Similar to critiquing a piece of artwork, the girls will react. One girl will say something like “Oh my god I love it!! So presh!!” While another couple of girls will say something like “ew oh my god I hate it. We need to take another!!”
Second time around: after this debate has happened, the girls will then get in a slightly different but still same pose (all hunched over for some reason) and ask you to snap another
The Race: They will then repeat step 3 and 4 roughly 5 times, then have a secret passive aggressive race on who is going to Instagram it first and what their caption will be (usually it is the phone owner because after all she is in charge of the photo)
This process ends up taking about 45 minutes to finish and once it is all done, the girls are finally ready to interact with people face to face. (However, they will end up spending the whole night checking their Instagram and debating whether or not they want to delete it because it is not in the double digits yet).
How do I know all of this so well? Because I always catch myself being one of those girls. But I’ve found myself thinking: does it really matter?
It is crazy how much social media has taken over our lives, not just my generation but all generations (both my parents have an Instagram). It has added a whole new stress.
Not only is finding the time, planning a trip, getting transportation, and finding a place to sleep the most important priorities of vacation; but making sure we get the perfect photo to post on Instagram everyday we are on said trip is a whole new thing to spend time on.
This raises the question: are people really doing cool and adventurous things just for the sake of the experience? Or are they just doing it for their followers?
It is almost like Instagram has added a distraction to experience. It sounds ridiculous to picture someone standing on top of the Grand Canyon and staring at their Instagram editing a photo they just took of it, instead of just taking the incredible view in. But that is exactly what we do! And for what? A hope to hit over 100 likes?
I know I am guilty of getting a little to caught up in the Instagram/photo posting whirlwind, but I have really been trying to make an effort to take the experiences of life in without my phone.
Sure, it’s perfectly okay to take pictures, they are a great way to cherish a memory. But maybe just wait until you’re back home to post the Instagram instead of burying your face in your phone while at a party or on a hike with your friends.
I truly think the amount of memories you will make talking with your friends or taking in the beautiful views will make up for the amount of people who like your picture.