As much as I hate to admit, as I’m sure you do too, I spend a lot more time on my phone. When I’m not falling asleep behind my computer screen trying to take notes for my classes, I’m aimlessly scrolling through apps more than I would like to admit. Although the world is pretty bleak right now, and it almost feels surreal to remember what we used to do and talk about before coronavirus, here are a few Instagram accounts that I look forward to seeing every day, as part of the good side of social media. I happily welcome these as a source of positivity in my daily scrolling. If you need some uplifting or want to freshen up your feed a little, I encourage you to check some of these pages out too.
- @pnwonderland
-
If you’re an out-of-state student missing Washington’s beauty, or perhaps like me and you miss the treasures outside your window that are on lockdown, check out the awe-inspiring photography account @pnwonderland. This account posts the most incredible scenes from around Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. I love to find new adventures on this account, add it to my folder called “College,” and send it to my friends who are in hopes down for a road trip with me. Also, if that isn’t enough for you, check out @pnwonderdogs—it’s pretty much the same fabulous content, but you’re rewarded with the cutest good boys and girls who also enjoy the outdoors.
- @velvetcoke
-
If you have a need for vintage or rare pictures from the 1950s-2000s (to fuel the “aesthetic” that most of us admittedly love), check out @velvetcoke, a platform with nearly a million followers to date. Three or four times a day, they post collections of old photos that have interesting backstories to them that give us a little glimpse into the pasts of stars we idolize and adore, as well as post entertaining polls about fashion concepts and trends on their story. In addition to that, an account I get a ping of excitement for is @everyfriendsoutfit, which, as you rightly guessed, posts the hundreds of our favorite ensembles worn by Monica, Phoebe, and Rachel. My best friend and I are now hooked.
- @chicksforclimate
-
A smaller account I still nevertheless still get some joy and inspiration from is @chicksforclimate, where, according to their bio, “Feminism and environmentalism come together.” The account posts material in both areas, such as their quick tips on how to reduce your environmental impact when doing laundry and the do’s and don’ts of composting, as well as their posts normalizing women’s experiences and bodies for the empowerment of their followers. They also have highlighted stories about environmental news, self-care, eco-feminism, and other categories that are worth implementing or considering in your daily life for the greater good both for yourself and the earth, hand in hand.
- @humansofny
-
An account that always makes me take a second to really stop and think is @humansofny. Before sharing stories from people in quarantine on the daily, they interviewed ordinary people on the streets of America’s biggest city, all of them with unique stories to tell. One of my favorites I still think about was a kind-looking elderly man who had been homeless after his divorce for several months, and was uplifted by all of the people on his block that knew him and treated him with needed compassion and warmth as he worked to turn his life around. He ended it with, “I’m getting a job soon. I want to see my grandchildren again.”
- @drunkstrology
-
If you’re into the complicated realm of astrology (that I am fascinated by but will never fully understand), and also enjoy some wholesome meme content, follow @drunkstrology for memes about every zodiac sign. They are, I must admit, pretty accurate. Based on my experience and personality as a Pisces, I think I resonate with the description of Michael Scott jumping on a train saying, “I am running away from my responsibilities. And it feels good.”