Instagram Influencers Go “Unfiltered”

During Instagram’s early days, influencers’ feeds consisted of bright colors, perfectly plated brunches, and latte art. The importance of an influencer’s consistent theme, mood, color scheme and aesthetic was extremely high and had the potential to make or break their influencing careers. But the speed at which these trends are changing is rapid, and influencers that haven’t joined this new bandwagon are already out of the loop.

The need for picture-perfect Instagram posts is lessening for a few simple reasons. Because of the accessibility of picturesque experiences, just about anyone can post the things influencers do. Pop-up shops, Instagram walls and museums, such as the Museum of Ice Cream, have enabled people to create posts at the same level and style as influencers. This has led to an abundance of the same type of content spread throughout the app. The younger generation of influencers is making it clear that this formula will not be enough because just about anyone can do it.

Instead, “‘Everyone is trying to be more authentic,’ says Lexie Carbone, a content marketer at Later, a social-media marketing firm. ‘People are writing longer captions. They are sharing how much money they make … I think it all goes back to, you don’t want to see a girl standing in front of a wall that you’ve seen thousands of times. We need something new’” (Lorenz, 2019). Authenticity has become one of Gen Z’s top requirements when it comes to the media, politicians and companies they support. Instagram influencers are entering this category as well.

Instagram users are eager to interact with content that is authentic and relatable because these qualities stand out against the plethora of posts that seem too good to be true. This young generation no longer wants to live in a world that promotes unrealistic beauty and lifestyle standards. These social structures have been detrimental to their health and, as a result, they are focusing their attention on quirky, humorous, and genuine material.

References:

Lorenz, Taylor. “The Instagram Aesthetic Is Over.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 24 Apr. 2019, www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/04/influencers-are-abandoning-instagram-look/587803/.