Pretty, young, overtly sexual, with a deliberately uncurated Instagram feed – these are the hallmarks of a growing subculture of female social media users who are the antithesis of the wholesome, mainstream aesthetic marketed by Drea Chong and the like.

These girls push the limits of Instagram decency with pictures of themselves in intimate situations you normally would not see on social media. Dark, grainy photos in drunken darkness, seemingly unclothed bodies in bright, overexposed light. There is a clear undertone of “young, wild and free” in their raw, controversial aesthetic.

They are what some would call “ratchet”, a term that is borrowed from Hip Hop culture, and one that we often use interchangeably with “trashy”. But after speaking to the girls, I realise that their “ratchedness” is not only a distinct aesthetic, but it also signifies a certain lifestyle that they want to align themselves with.

—

Charlotte, 18, @charlythebicorn

For Charlotte, her Instagram is a safe-house of sorts. The 18 year old started off using it as any other 13 year old would – posting photos of her and her friends hanging out, food, the like. But at some point in the last two years, she realised that she needed an outlet that’s public, that reaffirms her sexuality and empowers her.

“This is my page, and I can post what I want. I am free,” she tells me over the phone.