The slowest break-up of all time, pt. 3
dissecting my deteriorating relationship with Instagram
I want to quit Instagram because I open the app and feel horrible about my postpartum body.
But then I see a post from someone who shares my shape with words of confidence or a cute outfit, and I feel better about my body.
I open the app and feel like a bad parent because I don’t feed my kid enough vegetables or allowed too much screen time.
But then I see an idea for an activity my son would love or a way to reframe my motherhood journey, and I feel more empowered.
I open the app and feel pressured to spend money on things I do not need.
But then I see an ad for a bra brand I’ve never heard of, and I’ve been searching for a comfortable bra for months. I try it on, and it’s perfect, and I am grateful for algorithms.
I open the app to share a post about my work.
But then I realize no one will see it anyway, and I want to quit all over again.
It’s exhausting. So why am I still on Instagram?
If you haven’t read Part One of my Instagram Break-Up series, Start Here, then read Part Two.
Is it just me, or does it feel like everyone and no one is quitting Instagram? Here on Substack, I read an “I quit Instagram” post every other day, yet Instagram’s influencing machine churns on and on. One of the most insightful/helpful pieces I’ve encountered on quitting Instagram (or in Elise Cripe’s case, the internet!) was a recent episode of the Tiffany Han show. Elise shared her reasons for stepping away from Instagram and going from sharing a LOT to sharing nothing at all.
I’ve followed and admired Elise for years, and some upcoming changes in my life are about to mirror hers, which gets me thinking about what I’m going to do with Instagram/the Internet moving forward. To look ahead, I’ve been looking back on my deteriorating relationship with Instagram. So far in this series, I feel like I’ve gotten some clarity on big platform shifts over the years, as well as my tendency to use Instagram as a numbing mechanism. But it’s about to get more uncomfortable as I wrap up my short essay series and come to a decision point.