If you ask me to divide the timeline of world history, I will divide it into two categories- the world before Instagram and the world after Instagram. Although the classification is broad, it is still highly specific, unequivocal, and absolute.
Ever since its inception, Instagram has nurtured social connectivity, stimulated creativity, artistry, and imagination, made careers, and whatnot. However, studies link Instagram with health issues, such as anxiety and depression.
What’s wrong with Instagram? Or, is something wrong with us? Who is to be blamed? Let’s dive deep into it.
Is every life Instagrammable?
Instagram incepted the term "Instagammable." Most Instagrammable café, most Instagrammable travel destination, most Instagrammable wedding location—I bet you have heard these terms a thousand times before today.
Have you ever encountered all those “perfect morning routine” or “skincare routine” videos on Instagram? Or, those sepia pictures of fancy homes? Or, those elaborate marriage proposals or gender reveal videos?
They have set an unrealistic standard of how one should live, act, behave, and celebrate.
You would be lying if you said you were not affected by the fancy vacation pictures your friend posted the other day. You feel a twinge of jealousy whenever you find videos of people on your friend list partying every weekend. It is time you acknowledged it.
The 10 minutes you scroll on Instagram fill you with ten thousand emotions, ranging from envy to resentment, disappointment, loneliness, and every melancholic sentiment. But why?
We will find an answer to that.
Is Instagram setting unrealistic standards?
You want to wake up looking gorgeous, just like your favorite beauty influencer. (And you are ready to take all those fillers and Botox—it’s a secret.).
You want to fit in that gorgeous dress, even if it means not eating for an eternity. Of course, you want the latest gadget. You have to flaunt it on your IG.
You can’t propose to your partner in a dull, plain setting. After all, you have to share the news with your Insta family.
Is it worth entertaining this burden? We will find out.
Has Instagram created an unsaid pressure?
Your profile has to be the most happening among your friends. It is now a compulsion to visit every new restaurant in your city. Your wardrobe needs to stand out. Your home should always look like those from the glossy interior magazines. You should get your hands on those limited-edition products and post them on Instagram before anyone from your friend list does that.
Why do you always feel the pressure of portraying a perfect life on Instagram?
We will try to figure it out.
Let’s get back to all those questions: Is every life Instagrammable? No.
Instagram is the new definition of perfect, but it is false perfect by every means. The ideal life that people showcase on their Instagram profile is an act demonstrated through stories, reels, and posts.
No one will post about the hours spent fretting on their project report. No one will share a picture with visible love handles. No one will tell stories about the financial struggles they had to endure to take that expensive vacation to please their Instagram family or just to fit in Instagram’s definition of perfect.
People don’t lead a perfect life, they put up a show of their lives on Instagram and embellish it with illusory things. It is all about having an urge to post things that are not true just because the person wants to be seen as someone else. People want to be perceived a certain way and their Instagram profile mirrors their fancies and intentions.
Not everything you see on Instagram is true. That being said, not every Instagram profile is a deception, a false narrative. Some people bare their true lives on this broadly consumed platform.
Is Instagram setting unrealistic standards? Yes.
No one wakes up looking like a diva, and there is no problem in waking up disheveled. It’s only natural.
It’s not important to have well-defined abs. What’s important is eating healthy, working out, sleeping well, and feeling good.
You don’t always have to break the bank to buy a gadget whose value will start to diminish the moment you unpack it.
Sentiments matter more than the setting. A simple proposal is worth the world, if you mean it.
Has Instagram created an unsaid pressure? Yes.
Instagram has seeped into every fiber of our lives and is causing damage that we are not yet ready to address. Although there are countless examples of how Instagram has invaded our lives, let’s take this one:
Earlier, vacations were about enjoying and creating memories. Today, if you don’t get one Instagram-worthy vacation picture, you consider your trip an absolute waste.
Even though you hate Japanese cuisine, you visit the most popular Japanese restaurant in your city because everyone is doing it.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that people now tend to live to fit the standards set by Instagram. They want to validate every action by putting its evidence on Instagram.
Is Instagram affecting our mental health? Yes.
Instagram has changed our lives. What was incepted as an online space to share pictures and videos became an esplanade for depression, social anxiety, self-esteem, body-image issues, and an assortment of psychiatric illnesses to saunter into our lives.
Several reports have highlighted the negative effects of Instagram and other social media platforms on teens, but trust me even adults are not immune to the deleterious consequences of social media.
Why does everything need to be on Instagram?
This is not a reasonable question. People are free to put anything they want on Instagram. The problem lies in how you grasp it.
The bottom line is that not everything you see on Instagram is worth your attention. Instagram is only a social networking site meant for people to share their pictures with their friends and followers. It should not make you feel bad or less of yourself.
We were living happily before Instagram and we can live happily with it. It’s just that we need to treat it the way it is- a social networking platform, not a representation of who we are.