This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.
Instagram tends to get a bad rap for supposedly representing the narcissism of our generation and encouraging its users to paint perfect pictures of their lives which may not necessarily be in touch with reality. While that may be true, it grossly underestimates how helpful the social network can be as well. It is not just a place of selfies and artsy pictures of food; it can be instructional, helpful and even encouraging, depending on what accounts you follow. Now I’m not saying you should immediately unfollow Miley, Nicki and Kylie (hey, I won’t judge who you follow as long as you don’t judge who I follow) but here are some of my favorite IG accounts that I think are great for college women like ourselves who might need a little help trying to navigate life.
- @FitMenCookFor those collegiettes who are either off-campus or have forsaken their meal plans, this Instagram account is a life-saver. Run by fitness guru Kevin Curry, this account has tons of 15-second instructional videos for cheap, easy and delicious meals. Most importantly, all the meals are 100% healthy and offer a unique take on some traditionally boring foods. Follow him and learn how to make “crispy chicken and sweet potato meatballs”, “red velvet protein pancakes” and “avocado-fudge panins,” just to name a few of his delicious meals. All the meals are super easy and rarely take longer than 30 minutes to prepare. If you need any more incentive to follow, he is bilingual and super hot.
- @LyzabethLopezIn the same vein, this Instagram account has been a God-send to me since I discovered it. My Fitrec sessions have become 10 times more productive. Lyzabeth Lopez is the creator of “Hourglass Workout”; a workout that has been turning women all over Canada into lean, mean healthy machines. Luckily for us, she puts a lot of her workouts on Instagram for those of us across the border. What I love about Lyzabeth is that she encourages positive body image; she isn’t stick skinny and doesn’t advocate that women need to be either. She has some enviable curves and she works hard to maintain them. Her videos also teach you how to execute proper form in the weight room, and she is always showing innovative new moves to help you on the way to your dream body. Definitely check her out, you won’t regret it.
- @MakeupByAnnaMoving right along, there are tons and tons of beauty accounts on Instagram (some better than others). I have no doubt you follow a couple already, but what I love about makeupbyanna is that she really gives you an up-close look at how to create her makeup looks. What I think is great about Instagram for makeup tutorials as opposed to YouTube is that makeup artists have to be efficient and quick in order to show you the completed look in 15 seconds. Makeupbyanna is really great at this. Her tutorials are super clear, and the looks are really easy to recreate. All her looks are fun and beautiful as well. I’m not saying this is the best Instagram makeup tutorial account. However, in terms of being simple, gorgeous and quick, this is definitely a great one to follow.
- @HumansofNYI’m not going to say much about this, because I’m pretty sure everyone knows about the cultural phenomenon that is Humans of New York. That being said, I couldn’t leave them out because there isn’t a single day that goes by that I don’t see something inspiring/thought-provoking from this account. In an endless stream of selfies and “turn-up posts” from the weekend before, it’s always good to have a gentle reminder of the intricacies and peculiarities of life. It proves that everyone, no matter how mundane he or she may seem, has a story to tell.
- @BetchesThis account is definitely my guilty pleasure on Instagram. You have probably heard of the website “betches love this.” If you haven’t: you’re welcome. It will quickly become a favourite on your google account. The Instagram is just as hilarious (yet somehow, poignant) as the website and will not fail to make your day at least a little brighter. The posts are oftentimes a little risqué and maybe a touch inappropriate, but they never fail to make me laugh out loud (frequently in places where laughter is not an appropriate activity to be partaking in at the moment, so I would suggest not going on their page during class or any other place hysterical fits might be frowned upon)
- @happstersThis is a really sweet, feel-good page that will be especially helpful when the weather becomes drearier and we are desperate for a little sunshine in our lives. Literally called, “sharing happy inspiration” this is honestly one of my favourite accounts on Instagram. Whether you need a little 3AM inspiration to finish that paper or just a pick-me-up after a particularly trying day, this account will do the trick. If @happsters doesn’t make you feel like changing the world, I don’t know what will.