Ha, love this. Spot on. I feel like I can't be too harsh on Instagram because Instagram has been "so good" to me in the past and I think (?) I still need it and if Instagram knows that you don't love it properly anymore then it gets really moody with you and won't let you play so you have to pretend you like it still even though you hate it until hopefully at some point you can say that you don't give a shit if it plays anymore because it is largely awful. So yes. What you said.
I’m never going back to FB, been off that since 2020. IG I haven’t yet deleted my account, but after 9 months away, it doesn’t really matter. I use my time now for art. For walking in the forest. Connecting 1:1 with friends. And, some hard things too. Because when you aren’t numbing your brain, it’s a bit more available to notice that you’ve found yourself a frog in a slowly warming pot.
I also read Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. The rebel in me is thriving on reclaiming my focus and TIME back from unregulated focus harvesters.
Loved Instagram when I joined it in 2012. Now I find it hard to stomach. I have a lovely app that helps encourage breaks from my devices. (I have ADD so am grateful for its reminders. Solidarity with infertility struggle, have definitely been there.) At least I am not finding Substack a waste of time (yet?😬😅)
Love this so much. My Instagram was born 12 years ago for me and I have showed up almost daily there since. Meaning, I’ve basically grown up with it. I don’t know my adult life with out it.
Because of instagram, I’ve been able to work from home, have my husband work from home, and be with our kids all the time. BUT even that dream has sharp edges, of never having clear on time and clear off time, so it sorta always bleeds through all of life in the name of “content creation/ work”
Instagram and I only go back to 2015, whereas Facebook and I go back to 2006 when I graduated high school and heard about “this new thing called Facebook” that would help me stay in touch with my high school friends since my sister and I only knew one girl from high school who would also be going to Duke. Instagram and I have a complicated relationship- I enjoy looking at it to a degree, and as someone who has dealt with infertility I find that my Instagram friends who have similar experiences in that arena are able to help me feel less isolated. But also I see a lot of very similar content, so sometimes it can get boring. I average an hour and a half a day.
Someone wrote something about Instagram to the effect of “A hellish, lightless void with a million voices screaming for our attention,” which I thought was a little unfair to all the other hellish, lightless voids available through social media…
Constantly having to delete the app off my phone (which you could do without deleting your account just for a break!). I’ve noticed the past few years my breaks have been getting more frequent. I think in 2023 I probably had the app off my phone for about half the year total. If I use it for more than an hour per day depression starts to skyrocket. And I am Very Talented at ignoring my time limit of 30 mins and begging for 15 more minutes (usually more than once).
I get stuck scrolling because of the memes that sometimes bring me such joy. But oh my god I am so sick of every post being a teaser for “buy my e-book/class/coaching/whatever” AND then every 4th post or so being a paid advertisement. Ads were bad enough before everyone and their grandma started trying to monetize their content and the whole thing became one exhausting sales pitch.
Oh my goodness, yes! I mean, there are still things I love on Instagram (like I can't get enough of people's camping content), but I have spent so much time there looking at meaningless content and struggling to get my own content through the algorithm.
Now I'm trying to use it for communication and not stress about it. If it lands, great. If it doesn't, I'll just keep focusing on my community here and those subscribers who are more invested in my writing than the IG community ever will be.
Hilariously funny and Freakishly truth! How did we fall for this. I’m breaking the “mold” & allowing only 2 hrs per every 5! Enough is enough. 😱 your So spot on! Lol loved it💜
Ha, love this. Spot on. I feel like I can't be too harsh on Instagram because Instagram has been "so good" to me in the past and I think (?) I still need it and if Instagram knows that you don't love it properly anymore then it gets really moody with you and won't let you play so you have to pretend you like it still even though you hate it until hopefully at some point you can say that you don't give a shit if it plays anymore because it is largely awful. So yes. What you said.
Absolutely brilliant piece! I am not sure if you mock the business, social media or yourself. The point is it takes guts to be real!
Really enjoyed reading this! My Instagram is mostly people selling me moisturiser and telling me my midlife face is probably too dry or whatnot.
I took a 6 month break from both Facebook and Instagram and it absolutely changed everything 🙏❤️ Everything.
Same. Same.
I’m never going back to FB, been off that since 2020. IG I haven’t yet deleted my account, but after 9 months away, it doesn’t really matter. I use my time now for art. For walking in the forest. Connecting 1:1 with friends. And, some hard things too. Because when you aren’t numbing your brain, it’s a bit more available to notice that you’ve found yourself a frog in a slowly warming pot.
I also read Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. The rebel in me is thriving on reclaiming my focus and TIME back from unregulated focus harvesters.
That is so amazing and life affirming!
I’ve just discovered Substack and so far I’m finding it’s a great substitute for Instagram
Loved Instagram when I joined it in 2012. Now I find it hard to stomach. I have a lovely app that helps encourage breaks from my devices. (I have ADD so am grateful for its reminders. Solidarity with infertility struggle, have definitely been there.) At least I am not finding Substack a waste of time (yet?😬😅)
I think you’ll find it was easily 18 minutes!!😅
Thanks for making me chuckle.
Thanks- we all need one of those sometimes!
Love this so much. My Instagram was born 12 years ago for me and I have showed up almost daily there since. Meaning, I’ve basically grown up with it. I don’t know my adult life with out it.
Because of instagram, I’ve been able to work from home, have my husband work from home, and be with our kids all the time. BUT even that dream has sharp edges, of never having clear on time and clear off time, so it sorta always bleeds through all of life in the name of “content creation/ work”
Applaud yourself for writing this: we all are c
Instagram and I only go back to 2015, whereas Facebook and I go back to 2006 when I graduated high school and heard about “this new thing called Facebook” that would help me stay in touch with my high school friends since my sister and I only knew one girl from high school who would also be going to Duke. Instagram and I have a complicated relationship- I enjoy looking at it to a degree, and as someone who has dealt with infertility I find that my Instagram friends who have similar experiences in that arena are able to help me feel less isolated. But also I see a lot of very similar content, so sometimes it can get boring. I average an hour and a half a day.
Someone wrote something about Instagram to the effect of “A hellish, lightless void with a million voices screaming for our attention,” which I thought was a little unfair to all the other hellish, lightless voids available through social media…
Constantly having to delete the app off my phone (which you could do without deleting your account just for a break!). I’ve noticed the past few years my breaks have been getting more frequent. I think in 2023 I probably had the app off my phone for about half the year total. If I use it for more than an hour per day depression starts to skyrocket. And I am Very Talented at ignoring my time limit of 30 mins and begging for 15 more minutes (usually more than once).
I get stuck scrolling because of the memes that sometimes bring me such joy. But oh my god I am so sick of every post being a teaser for “buy my e-book/class/coaching/whatever” AND then every 4th post or so being a paid advertisement. Ads were bad enough before everyone and their grandma started trying to monetize their content and the whole thing became one exhausting sales pitch.
Oh my goodness, yes! I mean, there are still things I love on Instagram (like I can't get enough of people's camping content), but I have spent so much time there looking at meaningless content and struggling to get my own content through the algorithm.
Now I'm trying to use it for communication and not stress about it. If it lands, great. If it doesn't, I'll just keep focusing on my community here and those subscribers who are more invested in my writing than the IG community ever will be.
OH! I’m 81 ;-) yep 👍
Hilariously funny and Freakishly truth! How did we fall for this. I’m breaking the “mold” & allowing only 2 hrs per every 5! Enough is enough. 😱 your So spot on! Lol loved it💜