Happy Holidays! Hope everyone got to eat their favorite food yesterday and get a hug from someone they love. Now, cue the holiday craziness (*cough cough* Black Friday). While the next few weeks are so fun, it’s also easy to get caught up in the materialistic side of culture. Social media will go crazy over the next month with expensive gifts, huge social events, and name-brand holiday outfits. That brings us to this week’s newest post: The War Against Instagram Aesthetics.
Take a look at the pics above. Imagine you’re scrolling Instagram and see these pop up on your feed. You admire, double-tap, then keep on scrolling. When you pause to think about it though, chances are these posts didn’t add to your life – if anything, they took some subconscious joy. So what’s so wrong with these images?
I finally figured it out.
Motivational posts have it so wrong these days. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy them as much as the next young adult; I went through a phase in college where I was obsessed with them. Here’s the problem: I wasn’t getting any motivation from them! Why didn’t they inspire me? I liked looking at the pretty location pictures and watching someone else’s daily routine. Plus, those motivational videos must work, because they made me think, “I want what she has.” Right?
That was the problem. I liked looking at them.
I liked the pretty room décor and the yummy breakfasts and the perfect workout body that seemed to come so easily to others. It wasn’t until I sat scrolling through the aesthetic, motivational side of Instagram after a long, hard day that I realized what all these posts have in common: they all revolve around possessions. While some girls were promoting working out and eating healthy, most weren’t modeling any true life-changing habits. It was all a flashy show of modern décor, stylish clothes, and endless amounts of time. Just because influencers placed a “motivational” speech audio behind these videos didn’t mean they were inspirational; they just reminded me of money and time I didn’t have.
Yet, I was working so hard in my own life.
I got up every morning to go to work at 8 a.m., ran from class to class (getting good grades in each), met up with friends for meals, and somehow balanced homework with band rehearsals and my favorite TV shows. I felt like every hour of my day was full, yet Instagram told me that it wasn’t full of accomplishment. All of these “motivational” reels really felt more like lists of things I was doing wrong or missing out on. The implications: I won’t be successful until I achieve / buy what other people in very unique circumstances have.
“I felt like every hour of my day was full, yet Instagram told me that it wasn’t full of accomplishment.”
This article is my response in the War Against Instagram Aesthetics. If you can relate, then this article is YOURS to take to heart too.
Be encouraged and pause with me to view social media for what it really is –
a highlight reel.
If I had to bet, I’d say that you’ve noticed the same things I have: recurring themes on Instagram and other social media. Simply put, people show only the best.
So, let’s talk about it.
Instagram is all about the aesthetics, which are fun until you get caught up in them. They’re not real life, they don’t display the nitty-gritty, and they don’t actually show the challenges successful people must overcome. Once you realize that, then they become fun highlights of life or, yes, even motivational. However, you must take their message with a grain of salt. How can you apply these concepts – not the outfits, not the spending, not the burnout, but the discipline and the routine – in your own daily endeavors?
What happened to motivation for the season you’re in?
Why doesn’t real life apply to “success looks different for everybody?” Personally, I moved hours away from home, stuck through college and a job I hated, and was now in a healthy relationship, doing well in school, and loving my new job. What right does Instagram have to tell me my success doesn’t matter because I don’t wake up in a minimalistic thousand-dollar apartment every morning?
Here’s the other side to consider in the silent war against Instagram aesthetics:
Taking them for what they are, what do these highlight reels have to offer?
Some of my favorite motivational posts include tips like “Get more sleep.” “Drink more water.” “Buy outfits that make you feel confident.” Heck yes! That’s a message I can get behind. What are some realistic, low-spending changes that I can implement in my daily routine? How can I take charge of my on-the-go life to genuinely make me feel more confident? These questions should be your baseline for motivation, inspiration, and even the aesthetics you surround yourself with.
Here’s your “real-life examples” reminder that even when real life isn’t always aesthetic by Instagram standards, it’s still beautiful – beautiful in its reflection of your success, work ethic, and authenticity.
Don’t be afraid to be real on social media. There’s a mature way to go about it (stay tuned for my upcoming post, Top 10 Ways to be Classy on Social Media) but don’t be afraid to admit how hard you had to work to get to your current stage. Admit that there were challenges that accompany success. People will relate more to your authenticity than to the picture-perfect fronts we so often see. This genuine effort is one of our generation’s biggest weapons in the War Against Instagram Aesthetics.
In the end, the most important thing to remember is that YOU pick your own aesthetic. That includes the parts of your life that you share publicly with others. But then again, wasn’t that always the point of social media? #foodforthought
Have more thoughts on how social media has affected you or how to overcome social media negativity? Send me an email. Let’s keep the discussion going!