We want to be trendy. We want social approval. We want to be seen. Welcome to the millennial bubble, where we spend more time with our heads down, scrolling through snapshots of our peers’ daily lives than actually living our own. But, this is not an article picking apart our generation’s utter addiction to social media; rather, it is a letter of hope for the spread of veganism, thankful for our constant need for digital social acceptance.

If it weren’t for Instagram, how else would we see what everyone is eating? I suppose there is always our trusty pal Snapchat to show us in real time, as well. Regardless of the social media platform, our cameras eat first, then our mouths. With this, comes the instant peer feedback, practically drooling over the perfectly angled and edited snapshots of the meals posted on our accounts. It’s like free marketing for businesses and once we set our eyes on a seemingly delicious meal, our appetites turn voracious in the pursuit of it.

Luckily for veganism, cruelty-free foods seem to be quite the trend. With places like ByCHLOE, Blossom Du Jour, Beyond Sushi, and major Instagram accounts like ‘lonijane’ and ‘bonnyrebecca,’ tasty vegan food is quickly seeping into our social feeds and influencing our meal choices.

The thing with our generation is that we love anything exotic, eccentric, or “hipster.” There is no such thing as a simple bowl of oatmeal anymore; we have replaced it with lavish bowls of creamy oats, dressed with berries, nuts, and seeds. Even the nut butters are fancy, with mix-ins like maple syrup, chocolate, or cinnamon and raisins. Who wouldn’t drool over a bowl like that?

Were it not for social media, ByCHLOE would not have attained the popularity it has reached today. Everyone wants that Instagram post, camera angled straight above the tray of food, showing off the vegan burgers, fries, salads, mac ‘n cheese, ice cream…even typing those words are getting my stomach rumbling. The point is, it’s cool to go out for vegan food. It’s hip to post a picture of your acai bowl. People positively acknowledge your no-bake vegan cookies. And with all of this positive reinforcement, comes the expected influx of purchasing vegan goodies.

While the vegan message has used social media to reach meat-eaters primarily through food and not other aspects of veganism, like apparel or skincare products, it is certainly a start. Yes, there is more to veganism than the food you eat. It’s a lifestyle choice. But, had it not been for social media, I may not have opened my eyes to this lifestyle as early as I did. Constantly being bombarded with images of decadent vegan food led me to transition from vegetarianism to veganism, confident that I would not be a deprived human living off of carrots and leaves. Humans, in general, are innately selfish. The fear of never eating cheese again is paralyzing enough to stop them from making the switch.

Thanks to social media, the food is the bait, but hooking people onto the lifestyle will come much easier once they are familiar with the cuisine and feel comfortable in their decision to let go of foods they have been accustomed to since birth.

So, I guess what I am trying to say is if my words don’t encourage you to explore veganism, perhaps a good ol’ insta-post of my latest vegan foodie adventure will. But don’t forget to double tap on the picture, I fully support all of the ‘gram likes I can get.