BENGALURU: What does a statue, cardboard box, getting tested for Covid, a piano by the side of a road and a blue neon sign have in common? These are the photos featured in Timothee Chalamet’s Instagram photo dump. A photo dump refers to the Instagram trend where users post a carousel of pictures. Users ‘dump’ multiple pictures at once. Whether the pictures follow a theme or are randomly chosen is left to the user’s discretion. Went out with a friend? Forgot to post a picture of a nice outfit you wore a week ago? Post them. Baked cookies? No one’s stopping you from adding that picture as well.
Using Instagram’s slideshow feature, users can post an assortment of pictures-an album of sorts. While social media is often used to showcase the highlights and most glamorous parts of our lives, this trend may be pushing users to portray their authentic selves. The random assortment of pictures in a photo dump is what made this trend succeed. Without the imposition of having to edit and pick the best pictures, users have the freedom to experiment.
Nandini Sethi, chief editor at Beyond the Panorama, an online magazine that also offers social media consulting services, says, “Photo dumps bring back the very purpose of social media, where you can be free to express your creativity.” “You can post anything, without having to constantly seek approval from friends and think about it a hundred times. You can go crazy and just have fun,” she adds.
With the likes of A-list celebrities like Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner indulging the trend, photo dumps have become a part of the Instagram culture. Another factor that contributed to its growing popularity was the imposition of worldwide lockdowns. Being confined at home certainly allowed people to take notice of the mundane things around them. “People began to see beauty in simplicity because their previously fast-paced lives had come to a standstill,” says Shriya Mandira, a college social media manager
Speaking about whether this trend was a reaction to the circumstances, she says, “Social media became more realistic. It was exciting because I had never posted such random pictures.” Who knew that a carousel of pictures could be so inspiring? With over 400,00 posts under the #photodump, the popularity of the trend pushes social media in the direction of authenticity. “Seeing other people reveal all parts of their lives and not just aesthetically pleasing pictures and highlights made me feel like we’re all sailing in the same boat,” Mandira adds.