Instagram Has Killed The Art Of Lifestyle Blogging

Recently, I found myself at an invite-only event for internet influencers (side note: I am no such thing). Engaging in the requisite small talk, I asked an attendee what they do for a living. “I’m a blogger” she said, after the faintest note of hesitation. After a bit of internet sleuthing, I realized this individual didn’t really have a blog, per say. She had a robust Instagram account where she posted long captions, promoted partnerships with select brands, and communicated regularly with an engaged following. So why didn’t she simply tell me she was an Instagrammer, I wondered? It wasn’t until then it hit me: because bloggers are just Instagrammers now. In internet terms, it’s a shift that is both subtle and seismic. As influencers become a larger and larger force in consumer culture, their fans and followers now interact with them almost exclusively via big social media platforms—namely Instagram—and this often involves sponsorships. While blogs were once a safe and intimate space to overshare one’s quirks and passions with like-minded people, Instagram’s commercialization is a more carefully-curated, professionalized version of that model. It’s not “this person is just like me!” but more “this person is so much better than me.” Read more at Quartz.