It seems that people are less concerned about getting and eating their food in a restaurant, and are focused on a more important task at hand – getting the perfect Instagram picture. After all, if you don’t take a picture, did it really happen? 
With millennials spending a considerable time socializing over food, their social media platforms are heaving with photographs of food and drinks, which have transformed into a key influencer when deciding which food we are eating and where we go to eat.
On the other hand, Instagram is ruining the dining experience in ways we have not even realized.
From the unicorn frappuccinos at Starbucks, to the avocado burgers that are spread over Instagram for all to see – and rush to get – chefs are admitting that they have had to compromise on the taste of their food for more “Instagrammable” worthy food.
It seems that it is not just the food that matters either. Restaurants are even basing their interior decor over what will be considered Instagram worthy, which seems to typically consist of neon lights, art with graphic words, and tile mosaics.
According to Interior Designer Hannah Collins, “It is something young entrepreneurs are always thinking about,” and Collins admits it is something that her clients often request.
However, although lifestyle blogger Zanna Van Dijk told The Independent, “Restaurants love to use it as a form of marketing,” many restaurants ask their diners to be respectable of others and refrain from standing and taking photos.
Portuguese chef, Leandro Carreira, who just opened Londrino in London, does not completely agree with this.
He admits that his food accidentally became Instagrammable, but there was no intent on creating food specifically for “the gram.”
“We’d never put style before substance,” he told The Independent. “We want to build a neighbourhood restaurant, where people become regulars and don’t just come to tick a photo off their list.”
However, he found that people loved his food so much that they shared it and it brought even more visitors in.
So, while it may be causing a distraction in some restaurants, there is no denying the positive effect Instagram has had on the dining experience.
