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A Dying Breed: Insta's Aesthetic

Post what you want.

By Megan AndresenPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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St. Genevieve in Minneapolis

Post what you want, when you want, and where you want.

Who said life was supposed to always be curated. I just saw from the most recent Minimalismlife Insta post, "curators create space; collectors just fill space." What are we doing on Instagram really? We are filling space by posting our collected memories.

Instagram was once known to be a bunch of users that were all "collectors." This was before there were presets that enabled your aesthetic, and before everything had to be taken into careful consideration before posting.

I miss those days. Those were the days when I did not care how many likes my posts got.

Now, a mix of collectors and curators, Instagram is a place for people to show a mix of their life, creativity, style, and passions. Some people decide to display this in a once a day/week/month style with a set preset and witty caption, and then there are the majority of people who post a life event or picture where they are showing something they love. One truly cares about what others think, and the other uses the platform as a true form of social media.

Who am I in this mix? I am the best of both worlds. (Hannah Montana style and everything LOL). No, but really. I like to think I have created a platform for myself to showcase things I am passionate about, like travel and fashion, and my personal life, but also have created a well-rounded look that is appealing.

Now, I just read an article this week posted by The Atlantic that Instagram's aesthetic was dying, as influencers are abandoning the platform-esque photo-ops, and that is what prompted me to write something about this.

I love when marketing is based upon how Instagrammable something is. Hello, this is the easiest way to get word out about a new place, product, or event. BUT... I also appreciate that the younger generation is taking a stand against making everything seem so perfect on Instagram.

Life is hard enough as it is, and yet, we have to make ourselves seem perfect online to portray that we are doing well, when in reality, we not always are.

I posted, not too long ago, a picture of a tiled floor that featured the initials of the restaurant I was at, pictured as my header, as it was gorgeous, and it helped me convey how much I actually enjoyed visiting there. I also made a witty caption about how businesses should all have tiled floors for insta-hype, as it is an easy photo opportunity.

I stand by what I posted, as I do think this gives companies the chance to post photos of their locations, brand, clients, all without having to try too hard to keep up with being instagrammable; A simple addition to the business without the necessary initial hype.

With everything else in life, Instagram is finally evolving. I think to some, you may have noticed that not everything is so carefully edited and curated anymore, but if you haven't, you will most likely see this happening soon coming to a feed near you.

I, myself, only have 950 followers, and I follow 1,350. Following this many accounts can sometimes make it hard to keep an eye on people's aesthetic, but content will always be the most important aspect of any account I follow.

I have my friends and family, but I also care to follow companies I believe in, designers that I think are changing life as we know it, and sustainable-based brands that are being part of the solution rather than problem.

Now, Instagram will never die, fingers-crossed, as I now use the save button way too often for workouts, recipes, and products. BUT, let us all embrace the evolution that is happening in real time. With the love of being able to create posts for ourselves, we will always have a connection of how social media can bring people together through shared passions and lifestyles.

To advocate for things like sustainability, politics, futurism; Instagram is a great platform that many users are taking advantage of. Millennials know how to reach one another, and the best way, most of the time, is through Instagram.

This platform has changed the way society views each other, as real life is so different from social media life, but we cannot forget to be real. What we see on our newsfeed is usually sunshine and rainbows, so let it sometimes be a rainy day.

Go against the insta aesthetic, and be yourself in a sea of unoriginals.

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About the Creator

Megan Andresen

I'm a lover of vintage and classic style, traveling, and sustainability.

Rooted in the Midwest, you betcha.

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