For many, Instagram feeds have transformed from a way to save memories into a curated form of artistic expression, reflecting a user’s desired aesthetic. Many users carefully plan their posts to represent their lifestyle while maintaining a visually cohesive color scheme.
While social media can be a significant source of stress for teenagers, some students genuinely enjoy the creative process of curating their photos. Although popular aesthetics have evolved from filter-heavy photos and posed candids, many still strive to craft the perfect feed. Whether it’s about maintaining a cohesive theme, keeping up with trends, or chasing likes and engagement, the pressure to present an idealized version of life remains as strong as ever.
Many students feel the stress of social media when adding to their feeds. “I am often hesitant to post something just because it will break my aesthetic,” junior Niklas Klemmer said.
Even though the stress of maintaining the perfect feed will always be present, some students enjoy curating their Instagrams to match their ‘vibe.’ “Instagram lets my creativity and taste come out because it’s a completely curated platform that’s personal to my life,” senior Ayla Kardogan said.
Others simply find the idea of curating itself to be an interesting use of the platform. “I think it’s a cool way to use Instagram,” freshman Alexandra Cruise said.
As feed curation has become more popular, an unspoken Instagram etiquette has developed, including not over-posting, replying to comments, and receiving permission when posting a photo of someone. “My older sisters taught me about Instagram etiquette and always encouraged me to post things I liked, even if others were not posting similar things,” Karadogan said.
Evan Smith, a popular influencer on Instagram and TikTok, has gained a following through his videos rating people’s Instagram. In each video, he reviews the profiles of two followers for 12 to 25 dollars for different levels of his critique, evaluating their feeds based on aesthetics, content quality, and overall cohesion.
“I see a lot of other people’s feeds, and they inspire me. I want mine to look just as good and put together as theirs,” sophomore Olivia Fong said.
Some students have even gone to the lengths of paying the price and sending their profiles to Evan Smith to rate them publicly. “I was a little nervous before submitting it because I knew a bunch of people from school would see it, so I had a friend do it with me,” junior Riya Mehta said.
With so much thought going into how feeds look and feel, it’s no surprise that many students have started learning exactly how to curate their Instagrams. From choosing the right filters to planning the layout of their posts, creating the perfect feed has become a creative process in itself. “I enjoy archiving and picking certain covers for each post to make an aesthetic feed I enjoy looking at,” Fong said.
“Highlighting different events and ensuring posts are consistent is important. An example is not posting photos taken on different cameras in the same thread,” Karadogan said.
Even when trying to match photos to your feed, many students still aim to show their personality. “My feed looks so cohesive because it highlights all the things that bring me joy,” senior Maya Rozelle said.
Focusing on a specific theme can make your feed feel personalized. “My feed is very internationally themed. I like to post when I visit other countries or with people I love,” Karadogan said.
It becomes easy to get wrapped up in social media, and it’s important to remember no one is perfect, even if their feed reveals that. “People are often posting snippets of their best days, which is unrealistic,” Klemmer said.
Social media often shows a distorted view of people, showing only fragments of their lives. “I often remind myself that social media is not an accurate measure of a person, for both negatives and positives,” Rozelle said.
