Doing It For The Grid - Is It Really That Bad?
There is always a debate about Instagram and just how real life it should be vs how curated it actually is. We all know it's the highlight reel, as 'real life' we keep it we still edit, brighten and think of a witty caption as much as the next gal. I am proud to keep my Instagram down to earth with real life captions and behind the scenes Insta stories but I am guilty of 'doing it for the gram.'
At the end of July I posted this photo on Instagram and it got 139 likes but it was totally staged for Instagram. I've had this IKEA tray since February and never used it, I daren't put white sheets on a bed when I have a clumsy boyfriend and I can count on one hand the amount of times I took my breakfast back to my duvet this year.
So is my Instagram unrelatable because I staged this photo purely for it? Because I did take this photo. I did really have my breakfast on this tray in bed - but I wouldn't have if it wasn't for this photo.
A few weekends ago I was house sitting at my parents, my Mum had put white sheets on the bed for me, I brought the tray over and I made my breakfast and quickly snapped a few shots before it went cold.
I saw an opportunity for a photo, the same way I see some when I'm out and about and think 'that'd be good for Insta'. I knew this kind of photo would do well on Instagram because I like a million of them every day. I knew it'd be good for my grid so I curated it purposefully and posted it on a Sunday for the caption 'easy like Sunday morning'. I ate it on a Saturday.
But.
Here's my argument on why doing something for the grid isn't really that bad. Sure I saw an opportunity for a good photo that'd get me a few odd likes and maybe some new followers - but I did really do it.
I relished in being able to have white sheets for once. I made my breakfast and I laid it out nice on the tray and I took it back to bed. I ate it in bed (and it was delicious) and then I did some work in my bullet journal and blogged and stayed in my Primark night shirt and fluffy socks and I enjoyed a few hours I wouldn't done otherwise.
I did it for the grid but it gave me some quiet time on my own, to treat myself to breakfast under the sheets, to take a snap I was proud of and get a load of likes (for once.)
I spent a Saturday morning with a big bowl of fruit and a buttery piece of toast and a massive cup of sugary tea. I was full, I was comfy, I was content and it was sheer bliss.
So no, my life isn't all white sheets and breakfast flatlays - it's more a travel mug and a flick through social media. But is doing something for your Instagram grid really that bad if you're honest about it, if you don't literally fake something and you enjoy what you did?
Is it so bad if you have a morning to yourself for sake of a photo? Is it so bad if you take a day trip somewhere because you know it's Instagrammable? Is it so bad if you treat yourself to something you've been saving for for ages because you want to share a snap of it with your followers?
In my opinion - no.
