So if any of you follow my Instagram account, you will more than likely notice two things:
- My feed is super colorful and full of things that involve politics, the environment, equality, art, and photography.
- I post multiple times a day, usually.
Is this bad? Well in my opinion no- it is not. I honestly wish my friends and fam posted more often than they do. The thing is, I don’t see the point in Instagram or social media in general unless you are sharing your life and photos (like a photo album), or promoting a brand. Otherwise you are just showing off- I mean posting a billion selfies and the occasional summer bikini pic serves only one purpose, and it’s not to keep people updated on your life (they know what your face looks like by now) and it’s not to promote a brand (brands require multiple posts for marketing, good photography, and a purpose… I think the nineteenth mirror selfie in a row is pretty much purposeless in that regard). I have gotten on and off Instagram countless times because of this- because I am not scrolling through my friends’ lives and vacations and daily living… most of the time I still have no idea about what they are up to unless I call them. I am scrolling through angled selfies, throwbacks to swim suit weather, and like thirty eight beer pong photos. I get it. You are #thriving.
I honestly do NOT have a problem with random pics… it’s just the mentality that consumes people. The rules (smooth your skin through apps before posting, don’t post twice a day because no one cares, partying pics make you seem popular, etc.) turn laid back people into self obsessed, vain, surface level people. Again- post what you want, when you want. It’s your life. My problem is the idea that no one cares enough to see ACTUAL updates, so we should just post a few pics throughout the month to show everyone that we look hot and have friends. That is so superficial, and if people following you do not care enough to see what you’re ACTUALLY up to, then you need some new people in your life. Double post. Triple post. Don’t post. WHATEVER. I just feel strongly that social media is being turned into a purely superficial tool to justify sub-par living standards.
BUT it can be done right…
Here is the deal on my Instagram philosophy….
My public Instagrams are for my travel writing, and promoting. My travel writing feed is full of my travel photography and guides to the areas I explore. It gets me ambassador jobs, my work exposure, and others the chance to learn about new areas. I like to inspire people to wander a little more, and this is a great avenue for it. I post a few times a day for that purpose.
On my account linked to this blog, I use it for multiple purposes: to get ambassador jobs, promote causes, showcase my photography and modeling and art, inform about travel, campaign, share my blog, and inspire others to live kindly. I use my public account as a force for good and it has made me some really close friends. I never saw Instagram as a way to make actual, real, lasting friends but here’s the thing- if you are using it for something you’re passionate about, people like you will reach out. I have met fellow tree huggers, travelers, gringa Brazilians, art lovers, photographers, and soul twins on there, and I am very close with all of them. I would have never had that through a shallow social media existence, because shallow living touches shallow people, and shallow people are into themselves… not random Instagrammers. I have had crazy cool opportunities thanks to my social media friends, and it’s been so incredible and edifying.
Edifying. That’s not a word often used with the gram (yes I did just call it that). That word is a game changer. It inspires people in the morning to carve out a masterpiece of an afternoon. It uplifts the prolonged depressed. It wakens artists. That’s ultimately my goal for my public account- to edify my followers. Followers are just people interested in what you have to say or show them. Instagram is like show and tell in that way. I hope my feed edifies, uplifts, and offers new perspectives. That’s what I want my life to be, and I try to keep it real with my Instagram.
Speaking of real, my personal Instagram is my chaotic life crammed into tiny squares. That’s it. If I see a sunset I loved, I am not afraid to post a few pics of it. If a cause is important to me, I post about it. If I had a good time at the movies with friends… post! Instagram is for me to keep you updated on me. I am not endless bar pictures and chiseled jaw selfies. I am what I am doing, who I am with, what I care about, and what I see. My personal social media is to keep my friends and fam in the loop on all things Em. Not what I think they care about or want to see. That’s what THEIR feeds are for.
On that note, my life is not Instagram but Instagram is my life in the way that Instagram shows people little windows of it, and they can choose to like or say something about it. It’s vulnerable. I think that’s what scares people away from posting REAL pics sometimes. They didn’t do anything “worth any likes”, so they don’t post. You generally just see sorority party pics, spring break beach pics, Halloween costume pics, and maybe some formal shots. They are worried they might annoy people with too many posts, or lame posts.
PEOPLE. If people are following you, they care about your life… or at least they should. Did you read a good book? Did you eat the BEST blueberry tart? Are you getting ready for a marathon? Do you just really love your house plants? Is your dog just the best? These are all things that are parts of your life. Instagram should reflect that, or again, it’s just superficial. My Instagram philosophy is just that.
I’m not saying to post thirteen times a day or to post about every detail of your life if you don’t want to. I am saying to post about what you care about, and your life because LIFE IS WORTH CELEBRATING. Let your feed reflect that.
Cheers!
Em
EmFallingToEarth 