I've been wanting to do a post like this for a while, and with a big, month-long series around the corner, I thought now was a better time than ever.
Instagram is a lie. I'm not talking about the high school friends you follow or the daily puppy page; I'm talking about those fashion bloggers you swoon over. The ones where you wonder how the heck they have such perfect pictures and such wonderful lives. My strawberries don't look that color. My desk is never that clean. My room is never that bright. The list can go on and on.
The app that was originally designed to show you a (filtered) real-life image of your friends, family and idols has evolved into a staged and over-edited community. It can easily be compared to the editing that goes on in magazines that everyone is upset about. People are filtering their "real life" to make it more ideal, more "Pinteresting" and more of what they think people want to see.
I don't hate them for it, though. In all reality, it's smart. Their pictures have more likes, their pages have thousands of followers, and in turn their brand value increases.
Instagram is a huge tool for bloggers, and probably one of the most important when you talk about your overall image. These are "real" up-to-date images of the bloggers you obsess over everyday. I just want people to be aware that we're doing this. We're creating and staging these images for you. We're doing it to drive your likes, your comments, your page views. I know friends who literally take hours to post an image. Some use three different apps. Many take 50 pictures to get the right shot. Almost all take a whole day to stage an image. The "instant" part of Instagram is no longer there.
So why am I telling you about this? Because I know I can get down on myself for not living in this world bloggers portray. I look around on other pages and get upset that my life isn't as picture-perfect. That's half the reason I don't follow a ton of bloggers on Instagram. It's all just so fake. The more you see it, the more you think it's the norm and the more you try to keep up with this life that no one is actually living. It's a vicious circle. I just wanted to shed some light on the situation and help others become aware.
Just recently, on my trip to Hilton Head, I started doing the same. More because I wanted to show you the before and after pictures, and because I wanted to see if there was really a difference in how my followers respond. I wanted first-hand knowledge on the situation so I can talk about this from a fair and knowledgeable standpoint.
Did I see more likes on my pictures when edited? Yes.
Did I gain more followers? Yes.
So there you have it. Take my rambling for what you want. Just be in the know.
Love your honesty. Happy Friday! XO
ReplyDeleteBlogging has so many great aspects about it, but feeling like I'm trying to keep up with the blog Joneses is NOT one of them!! Love your honesty, girl!
ReplyDeleteLove everything about this post! I will be the first to admit that I spend way too long taking and editing photos for Instagram but I still like to try and stay "real" too. I've been hearing a lot lately how seeing all these fabulous Instagram lives can create jealousy and all that gross stuff but like you said, it's so important to remember that not all of that is real life, it's life through a filter.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this. Know that you're not the only one who feels this ridiculous pressure and gets caught in the comparison game. You roll your eyes at the "perfect" bloggers, but you're also a little bit jealous. I guess the thing I try to remind myself is that we're all human. We all have bad days that are far from picture perfect, whether we show them to the world or not.
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Sam
This is such a great blog post!! While its extremely easy to get jealous and sucked in, its important to remember that in reality its just a tiny snapshot of a much bigger, less edited picture. Love your honesty, girl!
ReplyDeleteJust came across your blog for the first time and what a wonderful first post to read! I struggle with finding the right way to "present and edit" my lifestyle and style photos. I love your honesty! Here's to finding a balance between builing a brand and still portraying the truth to our readers. It's a fine line, but I would personally rather be relate-able than envied.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement! xoxo
Love this, love you.
ReplyDeleteThank you SO much for shedding light on this. Instagram is a great tool for bloggers when it comes to networking and promotion, but it certainly has ramifications beyond just that. Thanks again! Great post.
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Kelsea
thebylineblog.com
Thanks girl. I've just started a blog and have been struggling with this same issue for a while. Trying to live up to the standards of the bloggers I love. So, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one struggling and want to give people a real glimpse into my life. Thanks dear.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
So true! I love the artistic aspect of photography...and it's totally worth my time to edit a photograph for a blog post, but honestly, I don't have time to edit every single picture shared on social media! That's a full time job in itself, and I already have one of those.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your "real" side! :)
LOVE this post so much. I constantly find myself annoyed with over edited, perfect looking blogger instagram shots but then obsess over posting the most perfect one myself. I hate that we feel like the bits of our lives that we share have to be perfect. Great points though...love your before and after shots!
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Katie
www.pearlsandtwirls.net
What did you use to edit these? Was it a downloadable app? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSaying that I love this post would be an absolute understatement. Sometimes I feel like I get caught up in the idea that I need to fabricate these photos to make my life SEEM infinitely more interesting and fabulous. Thanks for being so honest and insightful. <3
ReplyDeleteLove this post! It's easy to view everyone's lives as so much more glamorous based on the edited photos you see. Thanks for the wonderful reminder that perception is everything and that it's important to stay true to reality!
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I love this post. I follow a ton of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle bloggers on Insta and their posts always make their lives seem perfect. I loved hearing about how much behind-the-scenes work goes into those "instant" snapshots.
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ReplyDeleteGreat post! And thanks for sharing your before and after photos. I just recently got back to blogging and I find myself having these same thoughts and emotions about Instagram. I'm inspired by all the beautiful images I see and then I put way too much effort into getting the perfect shot, even without using multiple apps or additional photo editing software! It seems to be the only way to get anyone to notice you and yet it goes against the very purpose for IG in the first place!
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