Bye gram

Goodbye Instagram.

If you’d like to hear why I’m leaving this space, feel free to keep on reading. If not, I have lots of other messaging apps for keeping in touch. I’ll be deleting it in a few days.

Over the past few months, I have been erasing the Instagram app from my home page in attempts to break bad habits I formed. Habits like checking Instagram the first millisecond my brain encountered boredom. Waiting in line automatically qualified for an Instagram check-in, breaks from work or studying were sentenced to the zebra swirling trance of the gram, and even stopping at a red light evoked the need of a gander.

There are a lot of things to not appreciate (okay and maybe appreciate but not here and not now) about Instagram and social media, but these are the specific reasons I don’t want it as a part of my life.

The unrealistic ‘social’ aspect of ‘social media’ is the big one.

I often came into a conundrum about what to put up. Is it for me? Or is it for others? Because it doesn’t seem like it can be for both. As an example, if I find something I like but know others won’t, should it be put up? Because when I post it to a minimal reception, I feel disappointed. That seems so trivial and so vain. But it really isn’t because the only reason to post something is for others to see it and interact with. Otherwise, it’s like talking into a mirror. Or a .... vanity. What’s the point? But if the only point is that I like it, then why should I post it at all? It seems it is for everyone in general and no one in particular.

I believe the main thing is that the word ‘social’ in social media is a false friend. And if it’s not, I don’t want to be a part of it. It’s social in the most ridiculous sense. Social in the sense that I am putting something for display in an auditorium. However, in the auditorium the lights are out, and I only know someone is there when I hear a ‘hurrah!’ from the audience. That will disambiguate the faceless crowd that may or may not be out there. Or I am in a...place.. socializing, but everyone is in pajamas laying in bed and has a ‘disappear instantaneously button’ and a ‘reappear 2 weeks later’ button.

Another thing is overvaluing others AND my own opinion. Obviously, there’s the ‘like’ thing and wanting to get likes, but what about giving them out. What about the situations where I am hovering over the empty heart, and for whatever reason I decide ‘No, I would prefer this little picture to have its heart remain cold and empty. It doesn’t deserve to do a millisecond jig and fill up with a vibrant red color.” What’s this all about! My yes/no opinion of this thing = good/bad should not matter. I don’t want it to matter. There should be more to it than that. It over fluffs the value of my opinion.

These are the main reasons I don’t want to participate on Instagram. In general, I don’t want to adapt to its norms and values. I will miss out on the memes that people laugh over, and that advertisers now use to connect with their target audience (oh..), but oh well. I decided it’s not worth the 20 minutes every morning spent looking for one more funny meme.

So, I am 21st centurly packing my bags and moving to a cabin. Where I can still be reached by telegram (like the app).