Tanzistan: 10 photos we are all guilty of posting on Instagram

Tanzistan, an Instagram user, reveals the art of selfies, PTI inked thumbs and more in photos we are guilty of posting

What Twitter, did for news and communication, Instagram is now doing for the likes of budding amateur photographers, an average Joe or for those tech-savvy youngsters of our generation. 

If there’s one thing that has proven its efficacy in a short span of time, it’s the social media. It holds a comparative amount of power within itself. It is instant, cheap, accessible to a large amount of people and keeps people connected. It’s an alternative portrait, the other side of the coin for when the conventional media services are so busy presenting the same boring rhetoric.

Instagram has given all of us, those who possess a mid-tier Smartphone, the tools to post a tiny part of our lives online for the whole world to see.

They can be anything from drop dead gorgeous photos of one’s travelling adventures to those of daily mundane things that leave one thinking,

“What was the point of posting this in the first place?”

Most of the time, it is the latter.

If you happen to browse through a photo feed, you will usually find yourself in a sea of duck-faced selfies , unboxing videos of shiny new gadgets, make up products, album art screenshots, WhatsApp conversation screenshots, cinema ticket stubs, internet memes, food, branded coffee cups, cute kittens and puppies, and the list goes on.

As an Instagram user myself, I thought it would be a good idea to post those signature run-of-the-mill Instagram clichés with just a hand written explanation as opposed to an actual picture. The original inspiration was taken from Satiregram, but that profile was only a satire of a typical American or Western Instagram user.

I started thinking of how should I go about it and post these kinds of tongue-in-cheek photos which could help everyone relate to the Pakistani populace on Instagram.

Thus, Tanzistan was born.

The response, I’ve gotten in the shape of comments, like and followers, has been unanimously positive. In some instances, a few Instagrammers have tagged their friends on those particular pictures which they feel describe their friend’s activities best on Instagram.

Here are 10 of my personal favourites:

(1) Election Day

Election Day PHOTO: Salman Junejo

I think this is my favorite picture, mainly because I still remember how on May 11, 2013, all of the social media particularly the PTI crowd, was posting. Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter, were all filled with people’s inked thumbs and those various promotions started by locally operating coffee franchises, which added to the inked thumbs even frenzy further.

(2) Reading a book once in a blue moon

Reading a book once in a blue moon. PHOTO: Salman Junejo

How we all, in order to sound intellectual, do these kinds of things. Some of my friends have actually admitted to have done this.

(3) Its all about Waar

Its all about Waar. PHOTO: Salman Junejo

Apparently, in Instaverse these days, Waar is the rage. A little humor on the movie’s made-up American accents and girls posting movie shots whilst swooning over its director.

(4) First BBM pin ever

First BBM pin ever. PHOTO: Salman Junejo

I think this bit is pretty self-explanatory really.

(5) That guy, Rumi

That guy, Rumi. PHOTO: Salman Junejo

This particular photo is based upon how we come across different pictures of quotes or words of wisdom from the likes of Rumi or Gibran on Instagram or Twitter. Funnily enough, most of the time the person quoting them has no clue whatsoever with regards to its connotation. Self proclaimed pseudo-intellectuals.

(6) The ‘selfie’ era

The 'selfie' era. PHOTO: Salman Junejo

One of the most clichéd set of pictures one can come across on Instagram are the dreaded ‘selfies’. Most likely, these sorts of pictures are taken in the user’s bathroom. With the toilet seat and bath tub making for great backdrops while the user pouts away.

(7) Au naturel

Au naturel. PHOTO: Salman Junejo

This picture is based upon those self proclaimed “no make-up” shots we get to see so often on Instagram. One can clearly see the blush and mascara in the picture but the user, defiantly, stands by her ‘no make-up’ claim.

(8) We’ve never seen a sunset before

We've never seen a sunset before. Show us. PHOTO: Salman Junejo

This picture pays homage to all those over-saturated, highly filtered sunset shots taken while one is driving, risking their lives all for a few likes on Instagram.

(9) What school did you go to again?

What school did you go to again? PHOTO: Salman Junejo

This is inspired by those Instagram users who are active on Twitter as well and believe themselves to be the ultimate ‘Grammar Nazis’ of Pakistan. They share screenshots in which they have used multiple asterisks (*) correcting and embarrassing others for their incorrect use of the language.

(10) Working hard or hardly working

Working hard or hardly working. PHOTO: Salman Junejo

Posts of these kinds are from when users take pictures of their books to show how ‘hard’ they are studying. You will come across these posts most when the O-A levels or university exams are taking place.

Tanzistan twitter account can be reached @tanzistan (https://twitter.com/tanzistan)