Have you had enough of the gloss? The photoshopped bodies? Perfect meals and sunset views? Well, you are not alone as it seems that the hashtag #uninspirational is gaining steam across Instagram and Twitter and I for one am a fan.
Now, it’s not that I haven’t in the past found comfort in checking out #fitspiration pics whilst avoiding the gym – as if looking at the pictures of skinny gals might miraculously burn some of my fat off. However, I have had enough of the endless ‘perfect’ #selfies that continue to pollute my Insta feed on the daily. You know the ones, multiple filters, somewhat angled, hazy background and lots of pouting.
What’s worst, I think my addiction to scrolling through such images has in fact brainwashed me into posting my own selfies. Disclaimer: I have since taken most of them down…you are welcome.
You see, it is a slippery slope. One day you catch yourself at a great angle and post the shot, you get a few compliments, you get a few new followers, you want more…the result is a life spent looking into your own camera lens. I am scared of becoming that person – endlessly pouting, striking various angles and swapping outfits in a bid to get the perfect shot (which, by the way does not exist).
My motto is, why point the camera inwards when there is so much beauty outwards? And of course the question, what am I missing whilst pointing the camera on myself? To me, an evening spent taking photos of myself in different poses does not qualify as a good night out – regardless of how many likes I get. I may sound judgemental, but there is something so narcissistic about taking endless selfies and breathlessly waiting to see how many hearts or comments you receive. I think the world can do without evermore shots of people staring into their own cameras in awkward poses that would look bizarre to anyone passing by….despite the fact that most of us seem happy to ignore the fact that those images are not real. They are staged, regardless of what is written underneath them: “Just out for a quick 10k run #fitspiration” *takes photo and heads to Asda in jogging bottoms and full make-up*
That said, there are a few who have made a living from it … go figure.
Finally, is anyone starting to feel the same about inspirational quotes too? Yup. Catch me at the right time and an inspiring quote can work wonders. Those who know me, know that I am a fan of positive thinking, mindfulness, affirmations, mantras…I could go on and on. However, I have lost count of the amount of times I have read ‘Do something everyday that scares you’ or ‘Failure is simply success that hasn’t happened yet’ or ‘Stars can’t shine without darkness’. Once you have read these quotes a few times, they begin to lose meaning and worst still they become clutter in your Instagram feed. I hate clutter in my Instagram feed.