Why Does the Camera Eat First?

On a spontaneous Saturday night, I am out at a restaurant with my friends. It is a cold rainy evening in Boston, and the walk to the restaurant from the MBTA station has left us cold and hungry. We order and, when the food finally arrives, we cannot wait to dig in.

Then we all collectively pull out our phones and spend the next three minutes taking pictures of our meals.

The phrase “the camera eats first” has become one of increasing prevalence. There is no denying the presence of food content on social media. For one, in any given celebrity’s “photo dump” post on Instagram, a picture — or even pictures — of food are always guaranteed: Dua Lipa’s most recent photo dump from April 20 featured three photos of food out of thirteen total. It is difficult to characterize this broader trend as simply “bad” or “good” — it may simply be indicative of the increasing omnipresence of social media in our lives. However, the effects that come with these shifts may not all be positive.

For restaurants, social media food content can be a successful tactic for visibility and attracting new customers. In a metropolis like New York City, it is inevitable that influencers will drive and provide stability in a fast-paced, high-turnover industry by bringing in a steady stream of new customers from the internet. Those new customers turn into returning customers, and the cycle continues. The classic Cambridge example — BerryLine — similarly exemplifies how social media virality can take a hidden gem and turn it exclusive by driving up its popularity.

What drives the heart of a restaurant’s online presence comes down to the aesthetic of its food content. This aesthetic is not solely based on what the food looks like, but rather how it presents itself within a wider narrative. While individual food dishes may look spectacular, another aspect of what drives a food’s aesthetic on social media is the environment it places itself in. An attractive drink loses its charm when taken out of its cafe environment. Sometimes, a clutter of plates and decorations are part of a photo’s intrigue, proving that the art of composing a food image is much more complex than expected.

This situation does raise the question of whether food is an art. Food, like art, requires a mix of composition, technical skill, innovation, and intention. Art and food can both be consumed and bring enjoyment, albeit in different ways. Thus, social media platforms can simply broaden the extent to which we associate food with art. The growing presence of “camera eats first” culture raises the question of whether, if both are a source of human happiness, anything is truly wrong with such a shift.

What we perhaps overlook is the fact that food serves two general functions. The first is quite blunt: to nourish and provide sustenance. The second is to serve as a driving force behind human connection. There is a reason why grabbing a meal together is the straightforward option when two people want to catch up. Undergraduate events at Harvard see no shortage of food for attendees: Food is the best driver of connection. Food brings us together and is consequently a universal language.

Social media appears to extend this mechanism by sharing a love for food through a broader network — whether or not it is a valid evolution or replacement for in-person connection is questionable. Food is something that should be shared with people we love, yet now a divide exists that calls into question which side we think we love more: the audience on the other side of the phone or the people sitting in front of us.

Likewise, the social experience of food is both the conversations we have over the food and the environment in which we are immersed. A photo cannot tell you how an atmosphere feels or recreate the interactions you have with the people around you. Is the waiter funny? What are the other diners in the restaurant like? How does the restaurant feel? Is it cozy, or is it innovative and exciting?

Simplifying our perception of a restaurant or dish into a photo also has an inherent risk. Not all food is aesthetically pleasing, but this should not detract from our enjoyment of it: Taste is just as important, if not more than looks. The photogenic meals that dominate our feeds sideline the humbler-looking ones. A home-cooked meal may not always look like a Michelin-starred meal, but that should not determine whether or not it deserves to be widely enjoyed.

What does warrant the occasion to take pictures of food? TJ Steele, chef-owner of Claro in Gowanus, Brooklyn, supports culinary photos as a visual diary, a way to look back and know “when and where you had something.” Likewise, food photos also serve as a helpful way to document an unforgettable travel experience.

Going out for food brings an irreplaceable feeling of spectacle and amusement seldom found elsewhere. In light of such a unique experience, I feel the need to preserve it. While food is an art form in and of itself, it should not be subject to aesthetic constructs, particularly from social media. We cannot deny the fact that the social network surrounding food has changed. What is being served at the table, however, has not — and will not.