The Instagram Husband

Does this say anything about society, or not really?

I’ve been married twice, but never really been an “Instagram husband,” because while both women I’ve been married to consume Instagram, neither of them were big posters themselves. I have been friends with a couple of Instagram husbands, and obviously I’ve taken some photos that have ended up on the media of socials. But in the explicit definition of the term, no, I have not been one.

I’ve been vaguely fascinated by the concept for a few years, though, and I suppose enough people are fascinated by it that now we are dedicating op-eds in The New York Times to the topic. That op-ed is really more like a short story, and doesn’t have much of a point, but people are weighing in on the concept of the Instagram Husband and what it says or means for society.

In reality, I don’t think it says or means much of anything, and I’ve spent a small chunk of the last 48 Hours thinking about this. For better or worse, typically worse, a lot of women are judged on their superficial characteristics, and women of a specific generation (mid to late 30s now, maybe a bit above into mid-40s) are more fascinated with Instagram. Their friends are there, so they post there when they post. As you get older, I believe the progression is supposed to be:

• Nights out