Social Media and Pets

As we have made our way into the twenty-first century, technology has changed the way we connect with friends, families and even strangers. Social media has allowed us to bring awareness to those in need.  We share comedic videos and most importantly keep in touch with those around the globe. Our pets have a unique way of bringing joy through their actions.  Because of these acts of kindness, comedy, and sometimes stupidity, millions of people have shared their pets on their social media platforms. Besides that, a recent study by BarkBox found that adult dog owners share, post or talk about their pets on social media an average of 6 times per week. If they’re not sharing or talking about their own pets, they’re viewing videos or photos of other pets up to 3 times a week. Most importantly, the study found that one in ten has a social account exclusively for their beloved dog.

So why do we love sharing our pets on social media platforms?

One reason could be that we are treating our pets as legitimate family members. Because past generations have kept their dogs only in the yard.  Whereas now, people are putting their dogs in the family Christmas cards. More recently, owners have used their dogs to promote clothing brands. Franchises such as Vans and Target feature pets in exchange for monetary compensation. Some pets have become so famous on social platforms, therefore, they have become “A-list” socialites.  Most important these pets have created their own brands.

Some people have placed their pets on social media to escape the negative areas of media platforms.  Pets help us escape negative body images, political conversations and negative comments from other social media users. Dog and other pet photos/videos can be used as a means of stress relief.  Because most pet social accounts are free from negative comments and captions. Many follow dog social media accounts because they receive a few moments of laughter or heartwarming photos on their timeline.

At the end of the day, our pets are a part of our family, because just like our family members, they have their own personalities. We want to share the loving, comedic and special moments that our pets provide us, just like we want to share with our friends and family.

-Abigail R. Hanlon

Check out some of the most popular pets on Instagram:

JiffPom the Pomeranian (7 million followers): https://www.instagram.com/jiffpom/?hl=en

Nala the Cat (3.5 million followers): https://www.instagram.com/nala_cat/?hl=en

Doug the Pug (3.5 million followers): https://www.instagram.com/itsdougthepug/?hl=en

Marutaro the Shiba inu (2.6 million followers): https://www.instagram.com/marutaro/?hl=en

Grumpy Cat (2.6 million followers): https://www.instagram.com/realgrumpycat/?hl=en