I remember the first time I got Instagram. That 15-year-old girl who had no idea what she was getting herself into. Was I supposed to post pictures of myself? My friends? Or anything to make it appear as if I had an amazing life that I loved? There comes a point where appreciating beauty and moments with our eyes is no longer enough. We live in an age where many would rather document the good times, as a reminder that life is great, leaving all the not-so-great parts of life tucked away.
Fast forward to today where the ‘gram obsession has definitely gotten real. I think it all started when my friend and I decided to post #ootds everyday on @ootdiaries. We started by posting our go-to photos posing by the brick walls by our school parking lot. Eventually, as we saw our account grow, it became an addiction. That’s when I realized how large the Instagram community was and how blogging was a full time job for some – that is, if you ‘made it’. Although, looking back at it, it was much easier when we didn’t have to bear the stress of how many likes we would get on our photo, how many followers we would gain in a day, or how many email requests for collaborations we would get. Without it, I wouldn’t have learned how much I loved photography or fashion.
Looking back at how Instagram has changed the world; from the business perspective, to the lives of Millennials, I often wonder how long Instagram will remain relevant before it becomes the next MySpace or MSN. Though, I’m sure many of you agree, Instagram will not be going anywhere anytime soon.
Here’s when you know you might be slightly obsessed with Instagram.
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Your first thoughts whenever you see something ‘instagram-worthy’ are “where’s my phone?” or “I hope I get a good pic of this for the gram.”
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Camera eats first. Always.
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You look at the world as your palette, your eyes are the lens.
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You edit your pictures on vsco and use it to plan your feed.
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You delete pictures that don’t match your feed.
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You get stressed when your feed is messy and not aesthetically pleasing.
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You get frustrated when you can’t capture an Insta-worthy photo.
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You just LOVE Instagram too much – to the point it’s unhealthy.
Does this mean we have issues? I mean, this definitely isn’t a natural part of human life, but I don’t see why this is a bad thing. You start appreciating the little things in life that make you happy. It’s these moments you want to share with your friends and look back on 20 years from now.
Let’s face it, life’s better with Instagram. Maybe that’s pushing it, maybe it’s not.