Let’s set the scene: you’re at the girls brunch date you’ve been planning for weeks, wearing that Oh Polly bodycon dress you’ve been waiting to wear. Your hair’s perfectly voluminous for the occasion and your makeup is set without a crease. It’s been months since you last posted on Instagram because you keep telling yourself and your friends that “the pics need to be perfect!” You ask your girlfriend with the latest iPhone to take pictures of you sitting by the window at the oceanside brunch spot with mediocre Yahoo reviews but an incredible view. You take turns being the cameraman for each of your friends, and they all look absolutely amazing. After hundreds of photos have been taken, everyone’s finally satisfied. When you get back home and plan on posting your six favorites from the bunch, you keep hesitating to post and eventually never do. That giant section of photos in your camera roll stares at you every time you open the photos app, doesn’t it? If any of this sounds familiar, you’re in the right place.
It’s safe to say I’m tired of how extravagant Instagram posting has become. I remember a point in media history when posting a selfie in your permanent feed that isn’t captioned “face card” was considered casual and normal. In fact, people could post multiple selfies in their feed and no one batted an eye. Fun filters filled our timelines and posting felt simpler. You could post anything of your interest on your feed and your friends and family would like and comment. Growing up on Instagram, I was excited to reach an age where I could post constantly with my friends. I saw college-aged girls sharing reviews, photos, videos, and other news all the time. Follower counts and like counts felt irrelevant. Social media was a largely casual space to exist in.
I feel like it’s time to come down on the invisible framework of Instagram posting with an iron fist. The silent expectations are unnecessary and unhelpful for people who want to post without pressure. No one has ever deliberately told me not to post something, but I find myself hesitating constantly out of fear that my photos won’t match my feed or I’ll magically wake up and find all my friends leaving hate comments under my posts.
I feel that overall, social media has taken on a tone of seriousness that doesn’t have to exist. Let’s free ourselves from the expectations of posting on Instagram and become casual users again. I look forward to the day that users can feel like posting whatever they want without feeling like a performance is taking place. Social media shouldn’t be a performance, but rather a platform for people to connect through mutual interests.Â