Anyone on Instagram can spot the different posting styles of adults versus teens. Parents will take a selfie with their children at the grocery store or in line at McDonald’s simply because they were living in a moment that made them happy. On the other hand, teens try to convince everyone that their lives are captured with a perfect filter and caption 24/7. Let us copy our parents and their style on social media the same way we have copied mom jeans and dad jokes. Let us make Instagram casual again.

Many Instagram users spend excessive amounts of time making their photos look exactly how they want them to, so Etowah students are joining a movement. Students are posting pictures of themselves in class, in bed, or doing other normal activities in protest of Instagram being so formal.

Etowah alumnus, Lewis Simonson, is well known for the Make Instagram Casual Again (#MICA) movement spreading throughout Towne Lake. People find it entertaining and have started following his lead.

“I started posting [casually] to support my brother’s trend to make Instagram casual again. It is to see the real sides of people rather than their filtered self. This movement should be active in all social media apps,” Thomas Simonson, senior, said.

Those posting to #MICA have found that it is much easier and takes less time, and it leads to more interaction with friends via social media.

“I saw my good buddy Lewis start doing it and wanted to help him get the word out. I like keeping Instagram very casual and just being yourself instead of all the editing and fake pictures on Instagram,” Cade Gantt, senior, said.

Students feel that there should not be any pressure on Instagram to fit a certain image, but instead should post things that make them happy. According to childmind.org, social media is causing children and teens to grow up with more anxiety and less self-esteem. The false narrative on Instagram causes self esteem issues for many people who falsely believe others’ lives are perfect.

“It makes me feel more confident and comfortable about posting what I want to post and not having to edit it and make it perfect,” Alexa Thaggard, freshman, said.

Teens are posting more casually in order to help others do the same. #MICA advocates emphasize the importance of being yourself over having aesthetically pleasing photos one post at a time.