As someone who thinks about social media a lot, I’ve noticed that a lot of people around Boston, and every city, go to certain places just to take a picture. The other day, on a trip to New York’s Chelsea Market, I saw a girl buy a donut to take a picture… and then proceed not to eat it. I’ve even seen people take pictures with their friend’s pizza, despite their gluten allergies, for the extra likes. I love a beautiful piece of food or scenery as much as the next person, but what does it mean for your feed if you don’t actually eat the food, or if you leave the place you are in right after you take a picture?

I had to do a little digging into this fad to see what is (and isn’t) reality for these influencers. After all, did that girl really eat the whole pizza — or did she just nibble a piece and then dump it? I noticed that there are Instagrammable spots in major cities that are actually set up just to take a picture in. The Egg House in New York, for example, is a series of rooms that are themed around eggs, and exists just for that perfect shot. There is nothing to do other than look at oversized eggs that make for an interesting post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bln6KA-lf7s/?hl=en&taken-by=theegghouse

So when did this start? And… do people do this that often? It’s almost like Instagram is causing people to go engage with a real-life activity and place, but this activity is limited to just one quick social post. It’s a weird dynamic, and something I think we are all guilty of. I can catch myself thinking to myself in the morning, “this outfit would look great in a post” or turning to my friend and saying “we should take a picture; the lighting is perfect.” Instagram is all about making quality content, and because of that, authenticity often suffers.

Danielle Heath, Metter Media account manager and face of @bostonbehavior, says that “If someone is leaving reviews about food or giving their opinion on it, but doesn’t try it, I would consider that inauthentic.” The line for authenticity is hard to find, but Danielle makes a good point that “Over-the-top food makes people want to go just for the pictures,” which makes me wonder if some things are just designed for a picture and it’s not the fault of influencers, but of the establishments themselves.

While places like The Egg House may be extreme versions of this potential trend, there are places around Boston that have become extremely popular Instagram destinations. The Lawn on D, for instance, is a hotspot of iPhones snapping photos from every angle, flash or no flash. This spot is not only photogenic, but a destination for the photo itself (scroll through your resident single friend’s Tinder feed to see it yourself). Grab a swing and smile, or try not to look at the camera for the perfect candid, and you have the perfect picture without even trying because the background is perfect already. It’s almost like it was meant to be photographed for Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjzlOO2AWrF/?hl=en&taken-by=lawnond

To see just how real this fad was, I posted on Instagram asking people to submit stories about going places to take a Insta pic and then leaving. The answers varied, but the overwhelming answer was that people do this the most with food. From Veggie Galaxy to Tatte, people are going out to eat just to take a picture. Some others had criticisms like, “If you’ve gone somewhere, enjoy being there in person,” and I can’t agree more. A barista at Tatte responded saying that people often come in just to photograph a latte instead of drink it, which is just a tad bit too much (and expensive!). “Do it for the Insta” is a great caption, but I had a response that described “let’s have a walk on the beach” as code for “let’s have a photoshoot.”

The appeal of going out into the real world for the perfect post is undeniable. In that moment, maybe we should all take a minute and take advantage of the city in the most authentic way—and the most Instagrammable, of course. My favorite way to do this is to go places that look fantastic, that I have wanted to go to already. My most successful attempt at this was this past winter, when I went to L.A. Burdick during a blizzard to take a picture of my hot chocolate. Hot chocolate was the perfect way to warm up in the freezing cold, and my Instagram feed got a little bit prettier on a very dry posting day. Instagram is the greatest place to look great, and we can enjoy some new experiences while we’re at it.

Metter Media LLC is a Boston-based social media management company that implements community-based, localized social engagement strategies small businesses and corporations alike. Need help with your social media? Email Lauren today.