Why do we care so much about Instagram aesthetic?

We really shouldn’t

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We are seriously obsessed with showing off what we’ve been up to, craving acceptance in the form of likes. I can’t go a day without checking my Instagram feed, and I can guarantee you I’m not the only one.

Since when have we become so consumed by all this? And more importantly, why?

Recently, vegan internet sensation Essena O’Neill deleted all social media in a protest against “social media taking over people’s lives”. She has deleted the majority of her photographs on Instagram, leaving a selected few and changing the captions to reveal the truth behind each photo, such as how much she got paid for wearing a particular item.

You’ve probably posted a photo of a great present you’ve received, a nice meal you had, an amazing holiday you’ve been on or a concert you’ve been to. But not only have we become obsessed with showing our followers what we’re constantly doing, we’ve also become fixated with looking good for people we don’t even know.

Is this what my life has come to?

So much pressure

There’s a whole process when selecting an image that gets posted to Instagram. First there’s picking a photo which will look cohesive with your theme, then there’s cropping. Third comes the editing. Shall I use a filter? Should I Facetune those spots out? Let me add more saturation to make me look more tanned. Then there’s the whole caption debate, do you want to come across witty without trying too hard?

Oh and did we mention timing is crucial too? You want to post at peak times when everyone is online, otherwise what’s the point (sarcasm intended)? When you’ve reached the “Insta Fame” stage and you’re promoting companies, they will tell you when the best times are for you to post on Instagram.

What you post on Instagram is primarily for you. You want to share your experiences, thoughts and photos, and some people don’t yet understand what someone posts on Instagram is not the whole back story. Real life is not what we see on Instagram, it’s only a mere snippet of it. We only choose to show people the best parts of our lives, as a result it’s important not to get too absorbed into this fantasy and to find a balance between the two.

Searching for an aesthetic is too much effort

In the end who really cares what you post on Instagram? If you’re that person who’s going to go on about what someone had for breakfast and how annoying their posts are, just unfollow them. It’s not hard. You shouldn’t make such a big deal, in the same way you shouldn’t care what people think about your post.