By Marin McGrath
It’s no secret that the past two years have been hard.
The COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and social unrest are just a small number of challenges that society has faced.
In these times of isolation and loneliness, the world realized the importance of soaking up moments and making the most of each and every day –or should I say “romanticizing” each and every day.
The idea of “romanticizing your life” came as a by-product of the pandemic.
People on all forms of social media began to post photos and videos of the idyllic moments. For me, this quickly became an escape from the harsh reality I was constantly seeing every time I opened my phone.
Romanticizing life has been seen as an instigator of ignorance, but why shouldn’t we celebrate the good parts of life when we can?
A typical Instagram post on my feed can be considered a “highlight reel”, but this new kind of post not only glamorizes day-to-day tasks such as making a meal or doing household chores but also encourages adventure and spontaneity.
Content creators on TikTok craft compilations of daily routines, memories from vacation, and cooking videos as a way of seeing life through a rose-colored iPhone camera.
Common videos people will post are “day in the life” videos. In these videos, creators take the viewer through the mundane and exciting moments of the day and make each moment exciting.
Users on the app VSCO, post edited pictures on a feed as a way to display their personal aesthetic.
After many different users on various platforms became attracted to leading a romanticized lifestyle, these different tactics became more popular.
More and more enthusiasts of the trend have found different ways to sensationalize daily activities.
Monthly recaps are a prime example of romanticizing life. People create multi-photo posts with their favorite moments from each month as a way to look back and remember the good times.
While this trend has captivated the social media world, it mirrors a lot of the things society values as a whole, especially after the events of the recent past.
Something that I have seen since this trend began is self-care being something that people applaud.
Inspiration strikes in an unexpected way when I am scrolling through social media. I see someone journaling, working out, eating healthy, and I immediately want to go do those things and prioritize myself, just as they are.
Although this trend started on social media, the concept is essentially a mindset.
Just because I don’t post that I had a workout class, did my homework, and went on a mini-adventure, it doesn’t make any of those things less true. The idea is that I can look back on those things and see them as me caring about fitness, making school a priority, and exploring what the world has to offer.
The thing about romanticizing life is that it’s all about wanting everything to be extraordinary. The idea is that we can do something as simple as driving to the store and elevating the experience. Roll down the windows. Blast the music. Take a long way home.
Since the pandemic, people have been craving something to look forward to, so why not make it daily life. Life was meant to be lived, so why can’t we make it romantic and something we can’t wait to wake up and do each day.