The perfect shot, the best lighting, a clever caption — these are all aspects of a curated Instagram post.
Senior Matt Cannon described the aesthetic of his Instagram profile as eccentric, provocative and colorful. Cannon features similar colors and shapes across his Instagram to evoke a feeling of unity and cohesiveness.
“My aesthetic incorporates hues you don’t see on a daily basis,” Cannon said. “It makes me stand out, like a diamond in the rough, from other creators.”
Many social media users attempt to develop unique aesthetics to distinguish themselves from other creators, given that most young people are on social media.
Roughly 71% of 18 to 29-year-olds in the U.S. use Instagram as their primary social media platform, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center study. Additionally, Pew found that seven in 10 Americans are on social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook.
Defining an Instagram Aesthetic
Instagram has become a gallery of people’s best photographs and most exciting experiences, Public Relations Professor Klive Oh said.
“Instagram and your aesthetic all falls under digital self-representation and how you are perceived by others,” Oh said.
Oh said Instagram aesthetics are made up of different aspects of someone’s profile, including color scheme, emotional appeal and themes.
Senior Adri Herbert said she utilizes photo dumps as a method to curate her Instagram aesthetic. A photo dump is a compilation of photos or videos that have a common theme, such as imagery, timeframe or composition, according to Vogue.
“I like how Instagram is becoming more authentic and casual, like how people post [photo] dumps,” Herbert said. “I post whenever I have built up a collection of photos to post and would like to start posting more random and day-to-day content.”
Cannon said he takes inspiration for his Instagram aesthetic from fashion creatives like the late Virgil Abloh and Rick Owens, both luxury streetwear designers. Despite following trends in his personal life, Cannon said he wants to keep his Instagram as authentic as possible in an effort to preserve his distinctive aesthetic.
“As tempting as it is to follow trends, I like to stay genuine to who I am and start my own creative wave,” Cannon said.
Alumna Alisha Harris (’23), who works as the marketing coordinator at the digital marketing agency Canario Communications, said managing a brand’s Instagram aesthetic is different from managing a personal account.
“When you’re managing your own Instagram aesthetic, you have creative control and can take the time to figure your creative strategy out,” Harris said. “When you are working with brands, there is a lot more red tape around what colors you can use, what content you can post and what days and times of the week you can post.”
How to Curate a “Good” Instagram Post
There are many factors that go into the perfect Instagram post.
Senior Chloe McLeod said she utilizes filters and archived images to curate her Instagram aesthetic. These techniques ensure the perfect balance between cohesiveness and randomness, she said.
“I’ve gone through phases with filters I like, but right now I just make minimal color and lighting tweaks to make my feed look cohesive,” McLeod said. “Another technique I use is ghost posts, where I post, then archive an image that I don’t want shown on people’s feeds, but still want the image on my profile.”
Aside from ghost posts, McLeod said she also uses the Photos app on her iPad to doodle on various images on her Instagram feed to add more visual interest to the post. She likes to add hearts, smiling faces and emojis on her Instagram photos.
Cannon said he and his friends will have “content days,” where they schedule time in their week dedicated to taking photos for Instagram. These days will often feature creative and stylish outfit choices, he said.
“I’ll post whatever I want, but will always make sure my outfits are color coordinated across the rest of my feed to incorporate aspects of my aesthetic,” Cannon said.
Oh said Instagram and the importance of aesthetics have come a long way from the original founding of Instagram, which was meant to share casual photos with friends. He added that many Instagram users try to create an impression of casualness and authenticity with their Instagram aesthetics.
“Whether real or fake, the way you show authenticity is a big part of Instagram aesthetics,” Oh said.
Maintaining Authenticity on Social Media
Senior Cole Gulessarian said he does not partake in curating an Instagram aesthetic — instead, he refrains from posting on social media. The choice to stop posting on his personal social media platforms came naturally during the COVID-19 lockdown, he said.
“I like my pictures and thoughts to be private, within my inner circle of friends and family,” Gulessarian said. “But I don’t judge those who post on Instagram and other social media platforms.”
Gulessarian said he values face-to-face interaction over social media. Instead of posting on social media, he will show friends pictures in person or over iMessage because he feels that having those direct conversations is more genuine than social media, he said.
“People are so used to having their storytelling platform be through social media, as opposed to in-person,” Gulessarian said. “In-person communication is lacking as the ease of social media means that people are getting more comfortable not talking to each other, sacrificing those interpersonal skills.”
Gulessarian said he sees issues regarding social media use arise when users hyperfixate on social media interactions and metrics.
“The majority of issues are when insecurities are built off of comparing your likes and comments to other people’s,” Gulessarian said.
Psychology Professor Jennifer Harriger said there are risks to one’s mental health due to an obsession on social media images.
“Fixation on the number of followers, likes or comments can lead to a fragile self-image that is not based on reality,” Harriger said.
Social media, however, is not wholly negative, Harriger said.
“Social media is not ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ but it is important to learn how to engage with it in a way that does not bring about negative consequences,” Harriger said.
McLeod said she makes a conscious effort not to compare herself with others on social media, and she acknowledges that her social media can come across as a “highlight reel” of her daily life.
“It’s totally normal to not have an aesthetic feed because it’s about what makes you happy,” McLeod said. “This is how I have chosen to share photos as a creative outlet.”
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