Dont@Me: Instagram Could Sell You Crap on a Plate
Instagramability Does Not Equal Quality
I absolutely love avocado toast and lattes.
There is this remarkable visual appeal in seeing the vibrant colours of these treats in a photo.
The visual appeal stimulates my senses, and, of course, I take peek at the geotag to see where these tasty delights were born.
This isn’t really about the avocado toast.
This is about how we have come to value photogenic things over the less photogenic ones.
I don’t think many of us would have taken a photo of the avocado toast and latte if there were no art on the latte or pretty colours on the toast.
Both the coffee and toast don’t need to taste good as long as they photograph like a model.
I once found myself consuming a dessert I had seen on Instagram that was absolutely stunning visually. I realized that it tasted like frozen spit. The visual appeal made it irresistible.
Yet, I was sadly underwhelmed in terms of what dessert was created for: taste.
Did that stop me from snapping and gramming the dessert though? It was tempting to get my money’s worth for clout—making it known to the haters I was enjoying that sexy dessert.
Then again, I’d hate to be the reason someone wasted $12 on a dessert that has zero flavour and advertise myself as someone with trash taste.
Even if I was tempted to post it, I’d be endorsing a boring dessert to all my friends and followers nonetheless.
This is where I see a problem in the content we post and how we select photos.
Today, we can get away with posting, liking, and consuming food items solely based on their photogenic qualities by trusting people who we perceive as having good taste.
The post no longer has to be about the quality of the product or the experience.
This means companies can make a killing selling total garbage if the product itself looks grammable.
Sure, some people make a lot of money posting these photogenic items—in exchange for free products, services, and paid contracts—but is that how it should be?
It’s important to be aware that even the best of us are susceptible to making choices based on looks, and that some people are more willing to post for appearance over genuine endorsement.
If someone posts something that looks irresistible and has absolutely no taste, they’ll probably post anything. It might be time to rethink basing your purchases on their feed.
Give ugly food some credit: It’s often much tastier. Your eyes can betray you.
Remember that some of the best cafés and foods tend to not look all that bright and colourful in photos, but they sure make me feel less guilty for burning money for Instagram hype.
Go ahead and post that avocado toast, but only if it’s actually tasty. While you’re at it, post your ugly food too.
