And you should too, boo.
What is what I call the Instagram culture? Well, first it is a matter of...
1. FLAUNTING AND FLEXING
It is just that, purely and simply that. I don’t see anything else on Instagram. I don’t even need to cite any examples because it has simply become the essence of what Instagram and similar social media platforms are about.
2. PRENTENDING
Another thing the Instagram culture is about: pretending. The questions I would like to ask a lot of people who appear some how very made up, polished, orchestrated and ready for the Instagram game are the following: Are you really happy? Is this really you? Is this sincerely what you want, what you are? Or are you just pretending? If you are indeed pretending, who are you doing this for?
3. CREATING SOME TYPE OF ONLINE LIVES (OR LIES?)
This third reason is correlated to the second one but I will add this: it works. Pretending works online because online life is not real life. People will believe what you show them. People will believe what you tell them. This is exacelty what I wished people stopped doing. Instagram envy is noxious and real, I have been there. However the saddest and truest thing about it is that it's based on something that is not real. One’s life is NEVER as polished, perfect and even as constantly exciting as one’s Instagram account.
4. BEING ABSORBED
Don't keep constantly bending your neck. Leave your phone alone, it’s tired. Don’t jump whenever you get a notification. Listen to people when they talk to you and look at them. Don’t just scroll all day, all night, live your (real) life!
5. SUPERFICIALITY
Life is nothing like your white, grey or beige Instagram aesthetic, with all your pretty little beauty products aligned on your marble bathroom counter near the white flower bouquet, placed close to your big and beautiful gold-framed mirror.
Of course, such elements might be pleasant to look at. But, overall, it’s just empty. Non-relevant. You wouldn’t keep nor even take such photos if it wasn’t for something as superficial as your Instagram aesthetic, would you?
6. Silliness
I promise you I still cannot believe that people create Instagram account for their babies.
I know that in the case of family vloggers such accounts serve commercial and maybe even communication purposes, but still. Still. I would have never expected that coming from our generation. And grown folks following those babies' accounts...
7. SELF-CENTREDNESS
Instagram is ALL about me, me, me and me.
8. COMPETING
And competition. Girls, you know. Who’s the prettiest? Who’s the hottest? Who has the most curves? Who has the most handsome boo? Who has the cutest baby? Who's the richest? Who travels the most? Who has the most followers? Who’s the real #girlboss? You tell me.
9. ALL OUT
I know that most people just want to share their lives. They don’t mean to front, they don’t mean to compete against each either, but most of the time, that is how it ends up on social media. Do you really think that sharing your life for others to see your struggles, your success, your journey is the smartest move you can make?
There is something beautiful about privacy. There is something successful, protective about privacy that I personally love. To each his own, but if you feel trapped, if you feel like you have to have an Instagram or any social media account to exist, to be a part of this world, to have a voice, I’m just here to tell you that it is not the truth.
I don’t need Instagram in my life. Because of the reasons listed above, I don’t want Instagram in my life. This Instagram culture has infiltrated our ways of life. It’s as if we lived through it.
What really matters is no longer real life and what is actually happening in real life,
but rather what is happening on Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter (Don't even get me started on Twitter, I can’t). That’s a no, no for me.
We can do better than this,
Love y'all,
💋
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