The internet’s boogie man— social media. From the dawn of Myspace to Tik Tok’s infinite scroll, it has become a behemoth that no one could have ever foreseen. An essential piece of daily life. Today, there is no shortage of research studies, fear-mongering articles, and out-of-touch adults to preach on the ills of socials. Lowered attention spans, disconnection from reality, exacerbated sense of FOMO… these are but a few examples of how social media has been noted to change the way humans perceive themselves and others. But what about the way we consume the written word? What about the purest form of the written word, poetry? Has social media had an impact on that?
Without a doubt, it has. The publishing industry is notorious for its snail-like pace, slow to adapt to shifting technological and societal tides. This doesn’t mean that readers and writers alike waited. Instead, this gap gave rise to a new form of poetry borne straight from the influencer’s mouth.
Introducing: instapoetics. It sounds fake. Photoshop fake. But it is not and anyone can do it, that’s the beauty of it. The practice of poetry has often been perceived as an exclusive and elitist art. A closed circle barred to anyone not already part of the ‘club.’ Then Instagram came along and turned this aspect completely on its head for a whole new generation of readers. To become an instapoet, all one needs to do is:
- Corral together a few lines of text, typically of a melancholic or confessional nature.
- Find a striking photo to serve as the backdrop or keep the background minimal.
- Include hashtags.
- Post, and wait for the followers to come.
It’s that simple. Some Instapoets take it a couple of steps further and get creative, playing around with different fonts, objects and collages in their posts. The success of these tactics and this form of delivery, in general, cannot be denied. Not only are these poets garnering thousands, sometimes even millions of followers, but they are also earning book deals, going on tours, and even gracing the bodies of dedicated followers as their words become permanent tattoos.
And maybe the most shocking fact of all, is that poetry is breaking into the mainstream. Indeed, no one foresaw that one.
So, let people say what they want about social media. About how it’s ruining people’s abilities to properly communicate and forge emotional connections and think for themselves— at least they can write an Insta poem about it and people will actually read it.
By Alexandra Patel