As a college student and social media queen myself, I've grown accustomed to recent online trends. Whether it's a new hashtag or viral video, most college student's have seen it on at least one of the many platforms. Social media websites tend to develop trends in terms of how users share their content. A common trend that we can all relate to are the "categories" of pictures college girls post. From family to friends and all that comes in-between, I am equally as guilty as all of you for falling victim to the stereotypical posts.
1. The infamous selfie.
No questions asked as to why “the selfie” is number one on the list. Typically accompanied by a peace sign, a duck face, or the ever so classy middle finger, this is selfie culture. The photo taken of yourself, by yourself is almost always meant to appear on social media. With the evolution of the selfie, “photographers” everywhere are investing in new, shall we say gadgets, to assist in the picture taking process. The selfie stick has revolutionized this stereotypical post. Whether we see your arm or not ladies, all selfies might as well come with a blinking arrowing saying “share me, like me, comment on me!”
2. Our pets.
Pets are shared on social media like they’re our children. From the puppy and kitten stages to the tear jerking memorial posts, our followers see everything in between. Think about it; their walks, their baths, the trouble they get into. We’re all guilty of dressing their pets up for a picture once in a while. We all consider ourselves to be the proud owner of the world’s cutest dog and/or cat, thus wanting to share their cuteness with whoever is willing to see.
3. You are what you eat.
I will never understand why “pretty” foods always end up on Instagram, however, I am guilty of it too. While the latest craze seems to be sushi burritos and milk shakes on steroids, let’s not forget the good ol’ days of sharing your Starbucks drinks. We’ve all held ourselves back from diving into something delicious to take a picture first. If “WAIT! I need a pic first” has never come out of your mouth; I am truly both surprised and proud.
4. The seasonal outing.
Surprisingly similar to the “food portrait” concept, believe it or not. How so? Your followers will never know that you ventured out to the rainbow bagel shop unless a picture surfaces of your half eaten breakfast. Therefore, if you do not take a picture holding that pumpkin, did you really go pumpkin picking at all? At least 80% of seasonal outings like pictures with Santa and haunted houses get their promotion from girls’ Instagram pages.
5. Sibling milestones.
Even though we may not tell you, we are so incredibly proud of you. Know that even though we were annoying and probably spent more time fixing our own hair in pictures dedicated your special day, we did it because we want to show you off to our followers (and look cute at the same time). Whether for a wedding, graduation, Sweet 16, or school dance, we want the world to know just how much you’ve accomplished.
6. The parent-appreciation post.
At some point between getting annoyed at the paparazzi-like habits and wanting “one more because our arm looked weird,” we got the perfect picture. Now these are typically saved for, but are not limited to birthdays, anniversaries and holidays like Mother’s and Father’s day. We may not draw you a card with crayons and misspelled words anymore, but a sentimental caption and picture take double the time.
7. Our significant other.
We all aim to mimic Tumblr pictures, yet some how the candid out takes come out the best. You’re our world and therefore we want the social media world to see you. We choose to consume the newsfeed with pictures of our memories because, well, we can. Whether it’s date night or just us lounging around, our followers get to see how perfect you are to us.
8. The go-best-friend-that’s-my-best-friend birthday collage.
A tedious feat, but always worth it in the end. We all have a best friend or two that while wishing a “happy” birthday, we secretly want them to cry. Telling them just how much they mean to us via an Instagram post always yields tears. How do I know that? Well most of the time, a heartfelt paragraph is followed by “I actually hate you because you made me cry.” Finding the perfect song to narrate that year of friendship is never easy to do but it’s the icy on the cake to that collage of embarrassing pictures.
9. #Transformation Tuesday and #TBT pics.
Some of my personal favorites. Along with showcasing our pets, food, and loved ones, we also love to put our younger selves in the spotlight. Transformation Tuesday (n.) an excuse to show off how well puberty has done us all. Usually a selfie or formal picture edited to appear along side documented proof of our awkward stage. The Throw Back Thursday hashtag is similar, but it varies in the sense of showing off cute baby pictures or old memories with friends.
10. The party pic.
Whether posted at the party with a caption that clearly doesn’t make sense or afterwards to show off a themed outfit, every girl has posted a picture from a college party. Look closely at our eyes; if the wings are on fleek, then most likely it was taken before we left the dorm. On the other hand, if we’re all ratchet messes, good change it was taken during or post-party scene. Regardless, of when the pictures are taken, they’re bound to show up on social media at some point.
