Is the social media-focused pressure of perfection making us all kind of crazy? If you think Joanna Gaines’ “perfect” Instagram feed just happens, check out what the celeb had to say about it.
In a recent column for The Magnolia Journal, the HGTV star, brand creator, designer and mama of five opened up about the impact of social media, writing, “It wasn’t so very long ago that I had only a handful of Followers on Instagram.” She added, “There wasn’t any pressure to post anything at all, so whenever I did, it didn’t really cross my mind whether or not people would ‘like’ it.” Sounds about right.
Of course, Gaines’ IG feed grew as her fame grew—and that meant things had to change. Gaines opened up about how posting pics on social media started morphing from “an act of enjoying the in-the-moments of life” to “a more calculated decision.”
If you think you feel pressure to post perfect pics of your fam, imagine what someone like Gaines feels as a celeb in the public spotlight. She admits, “With every picture I found myself critiquing if there were messy backgrounds or blurry smiles. I think this is how we can end up losing sight of what is worthy of sharing and what is even more than that—moments simply worth experiencing.”
What happens when everything that’s “worthy of sharing” takes the place of real moments? Gaines notes, “There is a certain, creepy allure to a place where we can present ourselves any way we choose with very little accountability.” Hmm. Curated pics? Curated posts? And a completely curated life? Is that we’re all left with? According to Gaines, the answer is no—or at least, it doesn’t have to be yes.
Gaines combats the perfect pictures by putting herself in check, “My camera roll is constant full because of it, but when I hear myself start to say something like ‘move slightly to the left’ just so I can get the perfect angle, that’s when I know it’s time to check myself… Perhaps I’ll post that photo in a few days when I have some distance from it and a fresh frame of mind. Or maybe I won’t.”
And yes, this proves that you can live life, document it and not worry about what anyone else in the Insta-world or Twitter-verse thinks. Good on ya, JoJo, for the insightful self-awareness and parenting advice.
—Erica Loop
Featured Photo: Joanna Gaines via Instagram
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