When pets turn props

Not all social media trends are harmful, but pet parents may ignore the animal's comfort while creating content

- Nameeta Nadkarni

Social media has recently been flooded with dreamy, painterly videos showing pets wandering through flower fields or lounging in sunbeams, all set to melancholic music and filtered through what's being dubbed the "Ghibli" lens. It's part of the latest visual trend inspired by Studio Ghibli's iconic animation style—moody, magical, and nostalgic. For pet parents, like me, the temptation is undeniable. But beyond the aesthetic delight and sentimentality, trends like these raise a more complex question: what happens when the desire to share our pets online begins to shape how we parent them?

This recent trend, for instance, has allowed people to showcase senior pets and rescued animals in a gentle, poetic way. The emotional appeal of these clips can help reframe how society views street animals or older pets. But in trying to capture a perfect "aesthetic", some parents drag anxious pets into unfamiliar environments or repeat the same scene multiple times to get the right shot. The moment becomes less about the animal and more about the edit.