Instragramming Your Food Ruins It For You!

Are you one of those people who snaps a pic of your food and shares it on Instagram or Facebook?  Aside from it being a generally annoying thing for others to see everything you eat, you might actually be ruining your meal.  No, seriously.

A study just released in the Journal Of Consumer Psychology found that "over-exposure to food photos on Instagram ruins enjoyment of food for everyone at the table."

Researchers at Brigham Young University had over 200 people look at pictures of food and then rate them. Half looked at pictures of various dessert (cakes, pastries, and chocolates) and the other half looked at pictures of salty snack foods (pretzels and potato chips).

After looking at pictures, each person was asked to eat salty food and rate how good it tasted.  The people who looked at salty food pictures enjoyed their snack less.

Interesting, isn't it?  I suppose it makes sense though, when you see pictures of something your mind instantly creates a craving or an expectation of how great it will be.  That actual item seldom lives up to the craving or expectation you had.  That seems to be the case with me at least.

You can read the whole study here at FastCompany or the Journal Of Consumer Psychology.