Whether dining out or having a homemade meal, the food you enjoy is a large part of who you are. Enjoying it with your friends and family opens the door to learning about different cuisines from all around the world. However, the way that people enjoy food has drastically changed; many dining experiences now center around the aesthetics of the restaurant or the outfit worn to go out to eat. The food is frequently secondary to everything else.
Like most other aspects of day-to-day lives, social media has grown its influence on how most teens and younger people view the experiences they have, resulting in what some call a more “fickle-minded” and “materialistic” mindset towards their modern lifestyles. Irene K., a freshman at Skyline, talks about how the aesthetics of where she’s going out to eat matter a lot: “I would definitely choose one place over another if it meant that it would give me better pictures to post.”
Cafes, tea bars, and other businesses have taken notice of this trend, making their menu options more artsy and cute. This has also led to many overpriced beverages and snacks, as customers are willing to pay more for them. Franchises like Starbucks and Happy Lemon have seized this opportunity to introduce fun flavors and colors to further expand their customer base. Another freshman at Skyline, Sivani D., talks about the appeal of how the food looks and how much that influences the price she’s willing to pay. She gives Erewhon, a Metropolitan Market-like grocery chain based in Los Angeles, as an example: “No one would be willing to spend so much money on overpriced goods if it wasn’t as aesthetic as it is. That’s why so many people go there.”
Some may worry about the actual decline in enjoyment of food, but the upside is that people are learning a lot about new cultures through the widespread information on social media. Food influencers introduce new cuisines and cafes and have begun crafting a community of all food lovers. The next time you take a picture of your food, pause, and make sure you’re savoring the effort, time, and flavors that went into the meal.
