What if the dinosaurs had Instagram?

What if the dinosaurs had Instagram?

Written by Terry Lawson on January 31, 2025 at 9:45 AM

Ah, the age of dinosaurs! That era when the earth's giants roamed freely, untethered by the constraints of civilisation, social media, or even basic cable television. Imagine, dear reader, the wonder and whimsy of a land where thunderous Tyrannosaurs and majestic Triceratops casually strolled the prehistoric plains, blissfully unaware of the revolutionary potential nestled within their tiny, unflickable arms – the gift and the curse that is Instagram!

The selfie of a sauropod

Picture this: a Brontosaurus selfie. Between munching on some particularly verdant ferns and sauntering down to the local swamp for a drink, one larger-than-life sauropod decides to capture the perfect angle. After all, capturing one's "good side" is essential, even if both sides are equally good merely by virtue of size.

With a humble swipe of their footprint (which, let’s face it, is much more suited to creating fossils than typing), our Bronto buddy opens the app. A swipe, a zoom, a gentle tap of the screen, and voila! Filter added, furrowed brow corrected, and we've got the makings of a first-rate prehistoric post. Imagine the hashtags: #SauropodSelfie #BarelyBron #HerbivoreLife.

Velociraptors gone viral

Simultaneously, a pack of Velociraptors, known for more than just their clever hunting skills, have taken to the 'Gram. Their fast-paced antics are prime for short video content – or as the amateurs call them, "reels." Just think of the possibilities with clips titled, "Raptor Runway," documenting their long-legged leaps through the thick brush in search of something to sink their claws into, quite literally. Clever girl, indeed!

As with modern-day influencers, there's a careful balance between hunting prowess and influence, with an added pressure of never becoming someone else's dinner. Their captions would be something to behold: "Chase your dreams (and that hadrosaur) with relentless pursuit! 💪🦖 #RaptorReels #JurassicLife."

Stegosaurus and the art of brunch photos

Meanwhile, somewhere opposite a mudbank, a less assuming but no less fabulous Stegosaurus turns its attention to more artistic expressions. Always the hipster dinosaur, this tail-club connoisseur crafts the fine art of brunch photography. If you peer closely at their grid, you'll see gentle haikus set to the soothing images of ferns strewn artfully over pebbles, accompanied by rustic waterholes perfectly framed by the morning sun.

With captions such as, "Sunday Funday with my fern fam 🌿☀️ #Brunchosaurus #LeafyGreens," even the aloof Allosaurus would pause to like before bopping them on the head in gentle rivalry.

The Pterosaur perspective

Not to be outdone, skies were dominated by the winged curators of the airwaves: Pterosaurs. With an unrivalled vantage for aerial photography, their Instagrams offer an eye-level view of the world that no land-dweller can compete with. They specialise in panoramic reels titled, "#FlyOverFridays," showcasing shots of rolling veldt and simmering volcano peaks.

Pterosaur followers are treated to rare, dizzying snapshots with comments like, "Just because we haven’t figured out planes doesn’t mean we can’t fly high! #SkyIsNotTheLimit 🚀🦇." Their influence stretches vast, befitting their evolutionary mastery of the skyline.

Diplodocus debates and dino drama

And what’s a thriving Instagram ecosystem without a touch of drama? Amongst the arguments over whose club tail is the trendiest, or who nabbed the best watering hole photo, even the gentle Diplodocus finds itself embroiled in petty online debates with a sternly worded comment or three.

"If you can’t trunk with the best, you’ll get stumped like the rest!" This would be pinned prominently, naturally from the safety of a distance, lest its peaceful disposition be misconstrued as an invitation for confrontation.

The extinction event: drama or destiny?

Of course, every era must close its curtains eventually, and here we propose a delicious slather of irony. The much-theorised extinction event, a catastrophic meteorite impact, a gallery of volcanic eruptions, a climate shift of inevitable proportions. In this digital age, one must wonder: while their timelines arch closer to oblivion, what perfect, poignant post might the dinosaurs make?

Perhaps a Stegosaurus will quietly muse, "All great things must end, and in our end is a new story's beginning 🌌." Or heaven forbid, a brash T. rex might scribble a final warning, "Keep your arms short and your hashtags shorter! 💥🦖👋 #EndOfAnEra."

In the end, these colossal creatures would leave us with a rich tapestry of memories captured not in bones or rusted ancient landscapes but in digital snippets, to be scrolled ad infinitum, less a fossil record, more feed chic. And as we swipe through our endless feeds daily, maybe, just maybe, we’ll find a spark of resonance to remind us that even amid extinction events, there lurks the timeless narrative of life's grand, social adventures.

Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Terry is a curious and imaginative writer with a passion for both history and technology. With a flair for humor, wit, and detailed storytelling, Terry paints vivid pictures of how historical figures and events might have unfolded differently if they had access to modern technology.