The Death of VSCO and My Teenage Years

VSCO seemed to have a stronghold on my teens. I was taking pictures of random things and doing the absolute most slapping on filters.

A VSCO girl, who is that? Literally, everyone. VSCO was a place where users could upload literally any picture from their camera roll and not feel judged. The VSCO platform was important for me as a teenager because it allowed me to really share what I enjoyed without having a fear of judgment. Instagram at that time focused on aesthetics and how cohesive your feed looked. I honestly just wanted to post my ice cream float from the diner, but my 15-year-old self did go off with filter HB2.

My teens are coming to a close and honestly, I learned ...who gives a shit about what you do on your social media accounts. It’s literally YOUR phone. Yes, there is a big difference between committing hate crimes and posting mimosa brunch pictures. However, Instagram is going casual again, baby! If your local frat guy can post a picture of his bestie sloshed at Taco Bell, you can sure as hell post a picture of your fall bedroom decorations.

VSCO had a sense of not feeling that you’re annoying on social media. You could post 12 vacation pictures and no one would say shit about it. Now on Instagram, I post at least seven times during the month. Following me is not for the weak. VSCO made you feel like you had privacy. No one can see your followers, likes, or republishes. However, if you had the link in your bio -- the chances are someone lurked on it to see if you had a boo or not.

I wanted to take a deep dive into my VSCO and see the impact on me as a teenager.

Is this selfie not good or too good for Instagram?

Taking a selfie is an extreme sport. I swear I take about 70 and only get a few finalists. It’s like American Idol. There are some that are cute but wouldn’t perform numbers on Instagram. Likes definitely influence what people post, especially a younger user. In other cases, there are some selfies that may be too “steamy” for your aunt that requested your account on Thanksgiving. So, up on VSCO, it goes.

Taking pictures of random shit

There was a PRESSURE to be artsy for no damn reason. I remember going on trips and to museums just to take pictures for my VSCO. I can’t personally say I’m into photography, but jeez, my iPhone 6 really popped off.

The important things

When I scrolled through my VSCO, I unlocked some memories. VSCO is a vault of pictures to remind me of the great people and the time I spent with them. When you grow older, you grow apart from friends. That’s a part of life, but it’s important to cherish the times you had.

As I enter my early 20s, I know that nothing is THAT serious. Of course, we should follow federal law and be nice people -- but nothing matters. It’s important to do what makes you happy and not really care what others think.