Why I Dislike Instagram (But Use It Anyways)

I know, I know…You’re probably thinking, “But Grace, you’re constantly flooding my feed with annoying outfit pictures!” Haha, yes, this is true. But secretly, I strongly dislike Instagram, and here’s why.

WASTE OF TIME. I get sucked down the black hole of Instagram more than I care to admit. My feed seems endless. I never want to miss a thing though, so I’ll scroll and scroll until I get to the last photo that I liked. What is wrong with me?! Why do I do this? I don’t know…It needs to stop though. I’ve gotten into such a bad habit of checking Instagram every time I check the time on my phone or send a text. Does anyone else do this?? Please say you do…

GLITCHES. I don’t know about you, but Instagram glitches out on me ALL THE TIME. It’s SO annoying. Lots of times I’ll be in the middle of creating a post and then a box will pop up that says, “Instagram has stopped unexpectedly. Would you like to file a report?” In which case I have to start the post all over again. These glitches may actually have to do with my phone, but I’m super curious as to whether or not you experience something similar.

GLOATING. This is not true of everyone, but I feel like a lot of people use Instagram to brag about how cool their lives are. Maybe they don’t try to do this and it just comes across that way, which is totally possible. When I created a personal Instagram account, I started to feel like I was just falling into this trap of posting the best photos that showed only the greatest highlights of my life. To me, a lot of Instagram feels like a way to search for approval and validation from peers. I don’t need a number of likes or comments to show me how awesome life is, so that’s why I deleted my personal account.

SOLELY AN INSTAGRAM BLOGGER. So many people—mostly my friends and peers who know nothing about the blogging world (which make up most of my following)—think that my Instagram account IS my blog. They have no idea that I actually have website where all the real magic happens!! This is so frustrating. No matter how often I mention my website in the caption of a picture or update the link in my bio, people still don’t seem to understand that I do so much more than post a little square photo each day.

ANNOYING ALGORITHMS. I think we can all agree on this one? I don’t understand how Instagram works; I think I need a workshop on how to make the most of it. I mean, why the heck does stuff pop up in my feed that is over a week old? Yesterday, for example, I was just scrolling and liking, but then I realized all of the pictures were 5 days old. So now I look like a total creeper who, to quote Ed Sheeran, is “double tapping from way back ‘cause I know that’s where the trouble’s at.” 

EXTRA STRESS. Honestly, Instagram kind of stresses me out. I do try to post a photo every day to direct traffic to my website, but that means I have to work it into my schedule. This may sound silly, but it actually takes me a long time to post a photo on Instagram because I have to make sure I tag everything correctly and use relevant hashtags. Who knew it could feel like such “busy work”?

FOMO. Does anyone else suffer from Fear of Missing Out when scrolling on Instagram? There have definitely been times when I see a picture of a friend doing something fun and wish I could’ve been there…OR, even worse, seeing a picture of a friend at a party that you didn’t get invited to. That just sucks and feels really crappy. I know it’s a bad thing to be jealous, but let’s face it: everyone feels that way sometimes, including me. I think Instagram just exasperates those feelings. Before having an account, I was totally okay with living in ignorant bliss about all the awesome activities and parties the rest of my peers attend.

ARM PAIN. Haha okay, this may be stupid, but I try to be as real as possible on my blog. SO, does anyone else ever get pain in their arm or hand after scrolling through their feed for a long time? Sounds pathetic, I know. But it happens.

So now you’re probably wondering…why do I still use Instagram? The simple answer is this: Instagram is the number one source of traffic for my blog. Without Instagram, I’m pretty sure only about 15 people would know about Graceful Rags. Even though there are many things I don’t like about this form of social media, it gives my blog a lot more exposure and introduces me to cool new brands and fashion events. I also know that my intended audience, teenage and twenty-something fashionable women, spend a lot of time on Insta. I don’t try to post photos every day because I enjoy it or find it validating to get a certain number of likes; I post photos for the sole purpose of getting eyeballs on my blog posts. That is the ugly truth. (Love that movie by the way.)

Oh, but every now and again, I actually do use Instagram for inspiration. After all, there are a lot of pretty photos on there. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed this post and all its honesty! I would LOVE to know if any of you share the same feelings. Also, this post was in no way intended to belittle anyone who uses Instagram. I mean, like I said, this is probably the most hypocritical post ever since I continue to use the platform! Seriously though, a lot of the things I mentioned are specific scenarios, so I’m not saying anything against you if you use the Instas.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a great Monday!

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Navy and White V-Neck Sweater: The Gap Outlet, $30, debut on the blog // Black Skinny Pants: gift, $30 // Blue Polka Dot Socks: Target, $5 // Blue Booties: White Mountain via DSW, $42 // Blue Infinity Scarf: gift, $20 // Grey Crossbody: Charming Charlie, $16