Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Social Media Curation Run Your Life

As I write this title out, why you shouldn’t let your social media curation run your life, I realize this might be a very niche topic. It is a topic that arose the other day in one of my classes. Our assignment is to reinvent a brand’s digital and physical presence (that is, social media and brick-and-mortar). We discussed what works and does not work in those aspects of a brand, and got on the conversation of the pros and cons of a perfectly curated social media account.

When Instagram was still fairly new among consumers and creators, having an aesthetic Instagram profile was considered necessary for anybody trying to break into the creative industry. That need for curation filtered into so many accounts, that now days, I see nothing other than curated photos on my feed.

What was once a creative portfolio has now become bloated with overly posed #ootd photos and mega filtered brunch snaps. It’s inauthentic. It’s boring. It’s what we see everyday as we scroll through our feed.

As I discussed this topic with my classmates, one of them pointed out that accounts who have spent years curating a perfectly aesthetic feed feel trapped within their previously set standards. They can’t just post a candid selfie that doesn’t fit with their color story. (Some of you think this is a crazy topic and unnecessary for a blog post, but some of you read that statement and thought, “well, duh”, and those are the people I’m talking to.)

In a digital world full of curated Instagram posts, I think we should dare to be authentic. God forbid you post a picture that hasn’t been retouched in VSCO or Lightroom, but hear me out. We all preach about how we love to accept our flaws and insecurities, but show a curated life on social media. I will be the first to admit that I am guilty of doing this. I’ll be raw and real in writing on my blog, but when it comes to social media, I won’t post a picture unless it goes with my feed, and has been edited to make me look like the best version of myself.

But what if that candid selfie of you in a face mask on a Friday night is the best version of yourself? Or the laughing photo of you and your bff who both have double chins? Or that no make-up selfie after a workout?

I think we should all dare to be authentic, in person and on social media. If you take a photo that you love and it doesn’t match your feed, girl, post it!! I’m sure I’m not the only one that wants to see what your daily life actually looks like.

If you love your outfit and want to get your best friend to have a photoshoot with you, post ALL the pictures!! No shame in the game. Show them angles, girl.

What I’m trying to say is that we shouldn’t let a pre-determined aesthetic run our lives. We should let what makes us happy, and what truly represents us be at the forefront of our feeds.

Here is a picture of me from Saturday night. My room is a mess. I just ate a stack of waffles, dirty plate still on my bed. I’m wearing a shirt with Taylor Swift’s face on it, because let’s be honest, I love her. I have turmeric on my face because I read it helps with breakouts. I’m about to watch Mona Lisa Smile on Netflix, a movie based in the ’50s about women empowerment. I love historical fiction movies. I sobbed at the end. I find it hard not to cry at the end of movies. I find joy in watching empowering movies or funny tv shows alone in my room on weekend nights (add a face mask and a glass of wine, and that is my ideal night). It’s how I relax and refuel for the week.

This is me. No filter. Certainly no aesthetic (other than hot mess). Who we are and what our lives actually look like is WAY more interesting than a curated Instagram feed. Let’s show the world who we really are, one terrible mirror selfie at a time.