‘Tis I, the ultimate expert on all things social media. I’m so good, I almost post to Instagram twice a year as opposed to once a year.

On average, my posts are devoid of worth, so in a way I’m being authentic to myself. The few photos I take often consist of me looking up from my phone and thinking “huh, that kind of looks pretty” and that’s it. Every fifteen months I’ll maybe look at something and think, “oh this’ll be hilarious” and then I post it and realise it’s not really.

There’s no intended audience in mind – really no thought at all. I had to analyse my hypothetical audience, I’d argue they care about their image even less than I do.

Despite my mindset, I still see the potential this platform presents for people who do care. Instagram leaves the door open for multiple opportunities. People can share their art, their lives and their thoughts. The lack of emphasis on messaging allows a large chunk of the arguments to take place on Twitter instead (I’m generalising of course, but don’t pretend you can’t tell the difference). 

For years, Instagram has allowed us to present whatever sense of self we choose (and in turn has enabled influencers to develop careers – damn it). 

The post features have given me the opportunity to express and share my interest in photography (which I’m only doing for uni, but I guess that counts). The chat feature, although less emphasised, has allowed me to contact friends and family on a fairly regular basis. Oftentimes, I find myself scrolling through my feed just to get away from the news and all the controversies; something that wouldn’t be possible on Twitter.

Much like other social media platforms, Instagram allows users the opportunity to share their interests with each other. An example of this can be found through the hashtag – #bookstagram – a hashtag mentioned in a 2016 article that places emphasis on the presence Instagram now has in school libraries in the US. Writer Bev Humphrey also shares her positive experience on the platform, claiming that she had yet to find “any inappropriate or negative comments” (Humphrey, Bev. 2016. Instagram. Vol 64, Iss 4).

Other tasteful hashtags that seem to go around include the throwback Tuesday one (or was it Thursday? It was probably Thursday). Another one to mention would be #love… I can’t imagine there’s too much to pick apart there.

Whilst I refuse to take it seriously in real life, Instagram remains more tolerable than most of the social media platforms I’ve come across (more inviting, at least). As much as I hate the endless amount of creepy Stranger Things-inspired art that pops up in my recommendations, I can’t say it wasn’t my fault – I haven’t searched up much else. Also, I’d much rather receive that than ten more hot takes that aren’t really hot takes (I don’t like Twitter).

My message here is to stay away from relevant news and focus on what doesn’t matter. It’ll solve everything.

References

Humphrey, Bev. 2016. Instagram. Vol 64, Iss 4. Available at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/1860947754?accountid=15112&parentSessionId=1gQu7oREjpotFUTv8%2BbCw0dCpDlhYgR%2FEYwKqwl5pkE%3D&pq-origsite=primo