In this post-modern era, everybody wants the best bits and pieces from their life to go online.
As humans, we are bound to see failures and successes alike, but what we see on social media is often a misrepresentation of an individual’s life. This pushes us into a downward spiral of comparison and self-doubt which affects our self-esteem badly.
Technology was developed to be used by humans, not the other way around, but it seems technology, so to speak, is being used by a few powerful people to influence millions of people for their benefit.
Going through an old Album from your childhood days, collecting CDs of your favorite movies, or collecting cassettes all remind us of the good old days when there was no social media. Life was slow but peaceful.
There was a time when an entire wedding used to take place without a single Instagram post. Wild right? In this day and age, no major event is complete without at least a few curated pictures that go on all the socials, let alone a wedding.
This in turn has given an extreme boost to consumerism, where the consumer feels the need to buy every new trend that there is in the market (to flaunt it on social media) only to find it to be redundant after a few months. This gives rise to another problem of fast fashion which is very hazardous for the environment in the long run.
On the other hand, From Wedding Planners to photographers, from designers to makeup artists, from caterers to florists, everybody is a click away, all thanks to Google and now of course apps like Instagram where all the businesses have their presence.
Technology has such an influence on the choices we make for our wedding essentials.
In the current market scenario, there is no monopoly of any particular Brand, like there used to be in the 90’s or even the 00’s. This has given chance to many small brands to rise and make a mark. This gives consumers a wide variety to choose from and a competitive price point.
With the rise of social media, there has been a rise in the culture of ‘show-off’ where everybody wants to prove that they are well-endowed and better off than their peers. This unending need to look and feel better on the outside has also reached the wedding market.
People who can afford to throw lavish wedding parties are doing so without hesitation. Some of their favorite destinations for weddings are in Rajasthan, the Royal Weddings in Rajasthan offer a sense of grandeur and an old-world charm that is unique to it.
This creates a sense of insecurity in groups who may not be able to do the same but somehow manage to recreate a similar experience for themselves, out of the feeling of competition.
A modern wedding scenario has become more about validation and approval of society rather than actual enjoyment of the ceremony. We see everybody all dressed up in expensive designer wear only to wear it for one occasion.
Couples get influenced by watching others or even celebrities and therefore have started following the trend of pre-wedding photo shoots. A pre-wedding photo shoot involves a small video of the couple who choose an aesthetic place for themselves to do the shoot. These clips then go on social media of the couple.
Though the influence of technology and social media seems to be toxic, there are a few positive points to the scenario. This has given rise to the creative industry like photographers and videographers. Makeup artists and choreographers. Henna artists and hair stylists. These professions have gained huge traction in the past decade influencing the young generation to pick up unconventional professions like these. The money involved in these professions is also huge.
Conclusion-
Technology and social media have totally changed the way modern weddings take place. The ways of executing things might change but the human emotions remain unchanged.
It is important to note that no matter how pervasive the technology becomes, one should not get swayed by the perplexities of the modernism it offers. Beauty lies in the simplicity of thought.
