Instagram-this is acting

Let’s try to define what Instagram is. ‘Instagram is a free social media platform for sharing photos and videos.’ In fact, once you are in, there is an endless stream of pictures and videos that ‘feed’ your brain. But with what? And does it really have something to do with ‘social?

  • First day on Instagram. I was suggested by the app itself to connect with all my phone contacts and I opted in. This day my brain was ‘fed’ with pictures of unknown people who somehow had been in my contact list, and also pictures of family and friends having fun together, without me. Why my friend hasn’t invited me to her wedding, and how my childhood elementary teacher hasn’t changed a bit in the last 20 years? She even looks younger!
  • Second day. Wow, everyone looks so perfect. Perfect picture angles, lighting, make-up, dress, and everything. I am confused to notice that real life is not so colorful and shiny. Do I really know these people?
  • Third day. Some friends suggest me to follow some popular accounts. I do so, and also click follow to some other interesting accounts that are suggested to me by the app itself.
  • Fourth day. I notice in my feed some nudity, that really bothers me, as I try to be careful about what I am exposed to. I check, and it seems I am following this account, which I absolutely don’t remember following. It seems you can open a profile publishing interesting content, and after some time you can simply change your name and content and do anything you want. I click report and unfollow.
  • Fifth day. My family and friends seem to be having the time of their lives. Exotic vacations, dinner outs, polished looks, new cars, new boyfriends, bombastic marriage proposals, romantic surprises… and I start to feel that I have such a boring, mediocre, unremarkable life.
  • Sixth day. Since the people I know seem to be living so exciting lives, I become curious to see what do celebrities/rich people do. Therefore I start following some of them. I encounter two types: those who are rich because they are in the show business and those who are rich from other sources. The firsts try to be relatable, to show us they are barely humans and anyone can be like them. The seconds don’t give a shit, they just publish anything they want.
  • Seventh day. I notice that singers, actors, ‘reality show’ participants use the platform to gain attention and followers so that they can sell stuff to their followers. Don’t tell me that each of them knows their 1M followers personally, and are giving a piece of sincere advice on what to buy. These are not friends. This is not social. In this 1 M people, it can certainly be said there will be a number of thieves, murderers, burglars, rapists, and pedophiles. Is this celebrity, a friend of these people? I don’t think so.
  • Eighth day. I notice that there is a kind of current happening in the feed. People stealing each other’s content, ideas, looks, products, and all together stealing our time. Some trying to influence me to love my body as it is, some others encouraging me to get into sports, some others to keep a healthy diet, and of course an ocean of fat-reducing formulas.
  • Ninth day. I am asking myself: Why am I even here in this app? Am I chatting with friends? Am I being more social? Is it strengthening my social relationships? Am I learning something new? Is it giving me if one small piece of happiness? The sincere answer is ‘no’.
  • Tenth day. I do some more thinking: is in fact Instagram a ‘show off’ network rather than a ‘social network? It is a catwalk, a showcase, a shop, a billboard, a fashion magazine, a brag channel, a catalog, a show business, and such a horrible waste of time.

Just think for a moment: the celebrities you follow, have at least one person who posts for them, a team that crafts their next feed, while the person himself is enjoying some coconut juice at the beach without any device with him.

The friends and family members you follow, you know them, you know they work 9 hours per day, and have to do dishes, chores, cleaning, washing, cooking, reading, raising kids… and yet, you let yourself get fooled that their lives are as perfect as the picture they have polished with all sort of filters.

Wake up, dear. Instead of scrolling these fake reality shows, you could be the person having a drink at the beach without your phone on.

Don’t let yourself be consumed and don’t even be the consumer. Be the maker.

Here at Woman Superpower, we try to help women become the protagonists of their lives by exploring all sorts of ways to become financially independent and achieve their best potential. Check Here for ideas on how to start making more money.