Last evening as I was looking at my unread Whatsapp messages and clearing them up, I noticed profile pictures of my contacts. Many had changed theirs and somehow the list seemed new. No, I am usually not that free but with VT studying in one corner and Maggi simmering on the stove, this activity seemed a good way to engage myself.
I noticed that profile pictures reflect the state of our minds. Or let’s say for most people it’s a three-step process:
- What they feel at a point in time.
- Do they have a picture that reflects this state? If yes, they change the picture on WhatsApp
- Forget about this picture changing activity and move on with life until the next significant moment comes.
While I kept on looking and drawing my own correlation over things, I found a couple of examples that ascertained my thoughts:
- Have you noticed how near Fathers’ Day, Mothers’ Day or Raksha Bandhan, the profile pictures are matched up with dad, mum or sibling?
- We just celebrated Diwali. Did you see people change profile pictures to show their best moment of the day. Like their dress, the rangoli, laddoos or the diya. A family picture.
- The moment people are back from a vacation, there is a change in profile picture. It could be them off to this place or a beautiful sunset, a lake or the mountain they trekked and sometimes the wings of the plane.
- Around wedding anniversaries, there are pictures with the spouse.
- Close to birthdays or after one – there are cakes, candles or a picture as a baby.
- With kid’s birthday or other milestones at school – there are his/her pictures or achievements.
There could be many more examples. But the point here is that for most of us if not all, pictures mean a lot. We want our profile pictures to be the best version of us. Or our state of mind.
Sharing a friend’s picture from her Whatsapp (of course by her permission) and she said, her caption for this was “When life seems completely upside down”.
Would you agree to my little research?
For Day 8 of #NaBloPoMo, this post is part reflection and part analysis.
happiness and food 
Love the phrase and the picture — because who hasn’t had a life turned upside down? thanks for posting!
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True that. Thanks much!
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Profile pictures mean a lot of things beyond expressing our mood or last significant event in people’s lives. This has become all the more evident with advent of social media. I say your little research is spot on and your friend’s picture is something very interesting 🙂
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Yes, this was very random quick thoughts and I agree there is much more than what meets the eye. Thank you!
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I used to be that person who would once set a DP and forget about it, never changing it. But then the photo changing bug caught upon with me from my friends on Whatsapp. Your research gets my nod as vacations and diwali are true for me. WhatsApp is personal space for me whereas Facebook and Twitter are not, so there has been no changes in pofile photos in a long long time.
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Ha ha! Yes, I know what you mean. I don’t change pictures much but usually when I’m happy I do change one.
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Spot on- a reflection of the state of our minds! And, of course, our need for recognition, as always.
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That is always there. Thank you,Sir.
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Thanks.. great article and I am glad the pic added to the concept of the blog! 😜All the best! 👍
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Ha ha! Thank you for sharing and helping me build the idea.
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I’ve never really analyzed profile pictures. I also randomly update when the mood strikes me, on Facebook. I do think you’re right though. We do want to present our best versions of ourselves when the opportunity strikes. And that picture is fab. Must be from the trick eye museum in Singapore?
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Its actually from the upside down musuem in penang!
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Thanks Shailaja!
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Atleast my generation folks who are mostly technically challenged do not change pictures often. We mostly look awkward and change picture randomly. That was what I discovered. Even our FB images are the same, not changed in ages. While I see most people doing it all the time, I couldn’t care less.
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Ha ha! Well, what can I say. I’m probably your generation but a little too excited about pictures. 😉
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I couldn’t agree more, Parul! Your research is bang on!
I have stopped using my personal pics as my profile pic, after my Dhobi from Bombay sent me a whatsapp message saying, ‘Bhabhi aap bahut acche lag rahe ho’ ;-))))) Now i only use quotes as messages, which tell the world which mood i am in :)))
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I could not stop laughing at this. Sorry Mayuri. No intentions to make you feel bad.
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Lol! Too funny. Thanks for sharing, Mayuri!
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Wow, seems you narrowed it down & hit the bulls eye!
I recently shared a cute heart pic of my spouse & I, as it was out Anniversary.
Totally if guilty of changing pics after vacations 😜
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Lol! Too funny. 😉
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True..true..true..I don’t follow any routine and I rarely change my profile pics but that’s just me and I could be from a very different planet and time zone 😉 But, I have noticed this around my circle and it’s like a calendar of pictures, one for every month, occasion, and so on. Loved the upside down pic!
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Ha ha! Now you have seen a lot. Funny!
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I love and agree with your research. And let me add to that, when there is a fight or a mood swing, the profile picture is blank or some quote inderectly meant for one particular person 😉
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I totally agree. This should go on the research 😀
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Your research is 99% correct. 1% are like me whose status and pics does not match and people often comment telling me this. A nice smile enhancing post Parul
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Ha ha! Thanks Upasna!
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Wow! That’s an unusual and a very creative profile pic! I agree with your research. Yes, mostly the DPs reflect the mood of the season!! As for me, I rarely change my profile pics 😀
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Thank you!
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That’s an interesting observation. Although I have to admit that I’m one of those people who changes my profile picture and forgets all about it for years! I wonder if that says something about me too? 😉
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That you have a life outside of the pictures? 😉
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I tend to change my profile pic with the seasons. Motorcycling in the summer, snowmobiling in the winter, Halloween.
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That sounds sweet!
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True, Parul. Our profile pictures depict our state of mind at a particular moment. And, it’s just that we would like to share it with the people in our life that we change our profile pictures. As you correctly said, our pictures keep changing as per the occasions we celebrate or feelings we experience. I, too, indulge in such little researches every once in a while and try and contemplate over what I see and what might be! 🙂
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It’s fun to dig out, isn’t it?
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Gee Yes. And I am one of them. Though recently, there is a huge drop in the number of times I change my DPs. That unique pic your shared? Awesome!! 😀
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Great observations! Although I find one good pic n usually stay put for months! I don’t take a lot of selfies so I don’t have many photos going around anyways.
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Good research, Parul! That pic is really unique!!! I agree about how we want the best versions for ourselves to go into our profile pics. I didn’t have much of a presence on whatsapp until very recently. I do change my pp from time to time on FB though and it sure does reflect how I’m feeling at the moment, so your observation is spot on!
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Profile pics have become craze these days.Used as a medium of expression.No wonder people change pics as per the occasion
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Very interesting. But, I mostly stick to one profile picture and share all these moods and events on my timeline only so that people can read and like or comment on it and share their moments also.
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I think you’re right there Parul! Equally, there are those that won’t change theirs for fear of showing their reality…!
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This was quite interesting! I never think about when or why I change my profile picture but honestly this is so true.
Jas xx
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I found my head nodding as I was reading thinking of Mothers and Fathers days and of course birthday days. People changing profile pics to celebrate the occasion or now people using those frames Facebook offers for occasions. Agree with your research!
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It’s an interesting philosophy – maybe there’s another group like me who simply forget and can’t find another photo of themselves they like! But it had encouraged me to remember to take good photos with my loved ones so that I could, if I wanted to, post them on the days…often I don’t but I look back at them on my phone. Perhaps I’m learning the value of private as well as public.
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