Summer vacation is what dreams are made of, when the art of perfecting Instagrams and Snapchats is taken way too seriously.
In the age of technology, we all strive for perfect photos and capturing that mid-afternoon lonely moment that encompasses all that summer has to offer. In one of my several attempts to redirect temporary boredom, I developed a theory based on my observations of social media trends. From capturing awkward, sun-kissed selfies to snapping photos with the Mona Lisa, here are the seven most common themes to be found on social media during the summer.
1. Study abroad. No one goes abroad with the intention of studying for the class they have applied for. Most classes are anyway assessed on the basis of pass/fail. I’ve never heard of a better deal. Explorations are most conveniently timed where Wi-Fi and alcohol are available, such as the cute cafe or pub down the road. beautiful cobbled streets from wherever they are. Filters don’t seem to do the experience justice and you can’t wait for fall to hear all their wild stories. While I’m sure your friends are having a blast, is a 200-hundred-second snapchat story really all it takes?
2. Destination summer interns. Do they work too? How do they have the time to post photos of the city skyline during the day or have cocktails in the evening? Please send me the application for this dream internship where you can idealize the life of a working girl through an album titled “Summer Internship On the Upper East Side of New York City With Lunch In Little Cafes Every Day”.
3. Wedding guests. Every Saturday — and there will be a photo of them, their date, and 60 photos of the “Lovely Couple!” How many couples do you know? How many people ask you on these wedding dates? How many wedding outfits can a person have? Fingers crossed, all these wasted Saturdays are filled with an open bar.
4. Volunteers. Volunteering in Asia? Instagrammed it. Every other person who did nothing virtuous in the world and felt guilty liked the post.
5. Festival Heads. When there’s live music and dreads, they’re there. Bonaroo (checkmark), Cochella (checkmark), Lollapalooza (checkmark), Electric Forest (checkmark). They may be your typical college student during the semester, but on summer nights they are transformed into people without showers and worries.
6. Beach bums. Do they have a house too? How are they in the ocean every day? Are they island hopping via elevators? Do they live in tiki huts? How are they always on a boat in the middle of crystal blue water catching red fish? Were they even wearing the right fishing gear? Where is the pole strap for big catches? How does their Irish skin tan and mine?
7. Buzz feeders. Those who have exhausted every outlet of a good summer and resort to blowing up your Facebook news feed with, “Breaking: Seven Years Later, The Hills was Fake!” If anything, we don’t hate the Buzzfeeders, we empathize with them.