Instagram: 10 Things I Like and Hate (ok like less!) About You

Hi! Do you dear readers do Instagram? I have been trying to make a slight effort with and wrap my head around Instagram lately. I admit, at first I didn’t really see the point of having yet another social media account which would mostly be full of pics I had already seen on my friend’s Facebook pages.

But as a blogger it is seen as somewhat of a natural extension these days, so I’m trying to balance that with not annoying my real life friends with too many random shots of my feet or whatever. I HAVE considered trying to establish a separate account for the blog, but it just instantly associates with your Facebook contacts no matter what you do as far as I can see, so it seems a bit futile?

Anyway, here are my thoughts!

5 Things I like about Instagram:

The variety. It’s just endless, if you want an inspirational or funny quote, a tropical beach pic or a picture of a moose, they are all right there at your fingertips to gaze in awe upon. Me, mostly I look at pictures of pitbulls and Blondie!

The Fashion: There is a lot of great outfit inspo and people rocking some fabulous fashion everywhere you look on Instagram. I particularly like the depth of vintage and retro looks, it’s not something I incorporate into my own wardrobe much but I could looks at pics of women in Modcloth or Hell Bunny dresses for days, they are just so cheerful and lovely. I think what I also like about that corner of Insta-fashion is the women come in all shapes and sizes, it feels more inclusive to me than the endless skinny girls in slogan vests and leggings tribes.

The PHOTOGRAPHY: I mean, seriously, there are some amazing actual photographers on Instagram. It’s not all mojitos and pedicures on the beach if you have a look around you can find some really wonderful artistic photography.

Meeting other Instagrammers (I probably wouldn’t find in the blogosphere): Some of my pics gets likes and I have no idea why. Maybe they just want a follow? I kid myself it is because of my mad photography skillz I picked up in high school photography 101! (where I admit I mostly crushed on this cute boy in the dark room! ;-0). At any rate I won’t lie, an Instagram like from a complete stranger is a different feeling than a Facebook like. I try not to make my pics too “like baity”, I mean, we all know a picture of ice cream or a fancy coffee or a beach sunset is going to score big. I do feel a bit self-conscious that the quality of the pictures my phone produces is far from spectacular, I take pictures I am much prouder of on my camera.

The occasional bonus pictures of my friends and family: Sometimes people who are getting more into the whole Instagram thing don't share every single pic to Facebook, and that is fun because: a. new pictures, and b. I don't have to like the same thing twice or risk being a bad online friend! ;-0 I do find that most of my Facebook friends treat Instagram as an extension of Facebook, which is fine, but you guys should explore more!

*ok this one makes six so consider it a bonus because "11 things I like"...is way less blog post title worthy! ;-0

Hashtags: I LOVE hastags on Instagram. Ok I don't use them at all properly or cleverly in terms of getting likes, but I just love playing with words and being goofy with them and I feel less self conscious about doing it on Instagram than I do on Twitter for some reason.

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5 Things I like less about Instagram:

Repetition: I mean, it’s inevitable when you follow a lot of bloggers that they are all going to receive their Kylie eyeshadow kits on the same day or be at the same event, it’s not a big deal but it can be a bit same-y.

Unending Cheer: Ok so I mentioned above I am not averse to a motivational quote. But there’s an utter deluge of that most simplistic of life philosophies “Be positive!”, think sunshiney thoughts and the world will be your oyster, all that jazz…it’s just constant and tedious and yes I possibly have leftover resentment from when I had cancer and had to swallow that bubblegum type stuff people say when they don't know what to say all the time like it meant anything. Of course I believe in thinking positive, when you can, but you know what, sometimes you can’t, and that’s ok too! So please stop constantly commanding me to be happy Instagram, m.y.o.b.!

Fat Shaming FitSpo: (Picture on left: A woman, with a body - Picture on right: A woman, with a smaller body). These inevitably draw thousands of likes. Of course I am on my own exercise journey, I need inspiration too, but I don’t really enjoy the whole “Ugh I used to be so fat and gross, now I am thin and societally more acceptable and can show the world my body in a bikini” brigade. I mean, good for them, truly, but there is this sort of weird need for exhibitionism when women lose weight now that I find off putting. I know I put my own pics up here this week, but I promise you I will never ever ask you to look at me in a bikini and sing my praises. If I do you have my permission to throw water balloons at me.

Reality Bites?: Only showing “Instagram-worthy” moments, resulting in a feed that looks less like a life and more like a permanent holiday. Ok I know this falls under my whole, I am not a normal lifestyle blogger who wants to only talk about or show you the pretty things umbrella. Of course I enjoy the holiday moments and the life events and the good times, but I also enjoy the more everyday pictures, the comical pictures with a story behind them.

It feeds you what it thinks you want to see: As in, ok yes, I may have "hearted" twenty pictures of french bulldog puppies yesterday, but that does not mean I don't have OTHER INTERESTS Instagram! (ok I mostly do just want to look at puppies, but you know, change it up!). When you look for new things/people to follow it is pretty narrowly just spewing out stuff you have already liked. So I have a plethora of old movie star accounts in my suggestions feed because I liked too many Viven Leigh shots one day, the aforementioned french bulldog/pitbuill puppy addiction, so it can feel a bit like it is just feeding you the same junk food you love but not offering up anything new or exciting. The algorithm is pretty narrow in scope, I wish they would open it up a bit.

The art of living on Instagram is one that is rewarded for showing only the enviable at times it seems, and I do find that a bit worrisome. I am old enough to recognize it as unattainable, but it does feel sometimes like the younger generation (puts on Grandpa Simpson hat) is less satisfied with a life that is simply…good, whether it is observed or not.

My Instagram admittedly doesn’t have that bright vivid magazine pictorial style that most bloggers' Instagram feeds have, and that does occasionally bring out the "I'm a crappy blogger" sads. I presume a lot of them are DLS camera shots, or using an app on their laptop and all of that jazz. Which…I have thought about, but for me that kind of defeats the purpose. I would like my pictures to look a bit shinier but I don’t know…it’s just more work, am I right?

Saying all of that, I do genuinely enjoy it in small doses, I just think as with any form of social media it is best not to focus on it too much or take it too seriously. I found myself taking a picture of a mango I was eating last night and then not uploading it because I thought: “Who cares that I am eating a mango besides me?”

I do question the mentality that seeps in of “I must share, share it all!”. I think it’s probably a natural side effect the longer you are on Instagram, so it’s best to take a step back from it if you find yourself wanting to document every little thing, because perhaps it can become a distraction from actually living your life.

How about you, do you dig Instagram? I really do enjoy it mostly, it's probably as much a reflection of my own introverted reaction to oversharing as anything that I struggle with certain aspects of it. Do you have any fun or cynical or artsy type feeds you can recommend I follow? I need a little more bite in my feed I think to balance all of the fluffy clouds and rainbows!

You can follow me here for poorly lit shots of everyday mundanity!

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