In the midst of quarantine and boredom, Instagram had something new and unexpected to offer the world: “until tomorrow.” If you didn’t catch it, this was an Instagram trend that popped up earlier this week. I’m not going to describe it in full detail, so here’s the full rundown for those who are confused. It’s unlike any other Instagram challenge I’ve seen and that’s what I think makes it so fantastic.
Some brief background before I dive in: I’ve had an Instagram account for almost 10 years now, and to me, it seems like content has slowly devolved into idealistic fluff; it’s only cool to capture picturesque moments that are deemed “Instagram worthy.”
Keep in mind: I’m only okay with saying all this because I am guilty of the act myself. I have been constantly debating whether I should delete my whole feed and start anew, mainly because all my posts feel fake and don’t represent who I really am. These thoughts have been constantly swirling in my head for the past few months, when suddenly, arguably the best trend to hit Instagram occurred: “until tomorrow.” And let me be clear: I couldn’t have loved it more.
I will admit, when I first saw the trend, it was actually kind of jarring (maybe that speaks to the rigidity of content expectations?). I was mindlessly scrolling, as per usual, when I came across a friend’s post with the caption “until tomorrow.” It was an embarrassing picture that she would never normally post, so I automatically assumed it was meant for her finsta. I messaged her letting her know of her mistake, and as a result, the best 24 hours of my week ensued.
She explained how the trend worked and once I was in on the joke, it was invigorating. Soon, pretty much every single person I know was posting hilariously embarrassing content and it was a breath of fresh air. I didn’t realize how creatively stifled I felt until that moment.
At first, I couldn’t really pinpoint why I was so happy, but after marinating in my thoughts, this is what I came to:
- “Until tomorrow” is the Good Type of Pressure
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I don’t think I can fully convey how anxiety-inducing posting on Instagram can be. Yes, I know, this is an extremely unimportant problem to have, but posting can feel a lot like a presentation. You are presenting your life to your 800ish friends and acquaintances. That’s a lot of pressure. The good news is this: “until tomorrow” has seemingly chipped away at this tension. Everyone is posting stupid pictures of themselves without a second thought, making it more of a positive experience than a looming pressure. I love it.
- Criticism is Falling by the Wayside
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Social media expectations make it seem like everyone has to live the life of a well-put-together celebrity, but after seeing pictures of people with traffic cones on their heads and 3 pairs of pants on at the same time, it’s kind of hard to take this whole thing seriously. That’s a good thing! I’m actually so happy about this. Posting ridiculous pictures has effectively humanized everyone, making social media much less intimidating. It’s almost like we’re all children again, so there is no room for judgement. Criticism and envy have effectively been replaced with humor and spontaneity and I’m here for it.
I think this is what the social media needed most right now, especially considering the hardship that humanity is collectively trudging through at the moment. Hopefully, the playful nature of “until tomorrow” will stick around on Instagram even though most of these posts have since been deleted. I can only hope that Instagram culture will change and these light-hearted, authentic posts will become the norm. Kudos to whoever started this masterpiece of a movement.