What your dinner photos on Instagram say about you

Posting pictures on Instagram is a modern day version of writing a journal: It’s all about creating a connection between ourselves, our lives, friends, family and the wider public. 【小题1】 Each day, at least 95 million posts are shared on Instagram.

【小题2】 Some people will post photos of their pets, their holidays or their social life — but in recent years, posting photos of the food that we eat conveys to the viewer something more than the food itself.

If someone posts photos of a meal that they have just cooked, the message they’re trying to convey is that they are a capable person. For example, if someone is on a health kick, they often seek social approval. If they’ve made a really healthy meal, they will typically post it with hashtags “#” like diet or health, which tie into other people’s experiences. 【小题3】

There is also a growing trend of people taking photos of their food when they dine out at a restaurant. 【小题4】 These Instagrammers often tag places that are considered selective or to have a certain clientele (顾客群) , like celebrities — to indicate that they’re a person of worth. It feeds into their need for social approval and is a way of boosting their own self-esteem.

If people are on a diet or trying to eat a bit better, they can use platforms like Instagram to track what they’ve been eating. It’s a way of motivating other people as well as holding themselves responsible, while subconsciously saying “【小题5】”. Sharing the diet is a way of both getting attention and taking responsibility from a wider audience.