Pros and Cons of Instagram

 

Instagram has become the most popular social media app in 2017. It has topped FB, twitter, snapchat and all the other common social media apps. I think it became even more popular when they started the Instastory around August 2016. As Instagram gets more and more popular, more discussions related to the pros and cons of this app are found online and in newspapers and magazines. I read the news this morning and it says that Meghan Markle decided to delete all her social media accounts upon joining the royal family. There were several comments and articles discussing this matter and people's opinions' were divided. Generally, every situation has its pros and cons. I can fully understand why the royal family wants to keep their lives private so having social media is totally out of the question. As for us, here are some things you might want to consider upon having an Instagram account. There are many pros and cons depending on how you use it.

I'll start with the cons because I like to end every post on a positive note ;)

Cons of Instagram

• No privacy. If you are someone who shares every tiny thing on Instagram, everyone will know everything about you. When people know too much, they start to judge. Well, even if they know little they judge so knowing a lot increases the chances. If you are not too bothered about this, then great but if you are uneasy about people judging you, it can get a bit distressing. Especially if people criticise you openly. In my opinion, the best way to deal with this is to share wisely. Choose carefully what you share. Save some things to share offline with those closest to you only. This will make your family and close friends feel special. They will not know everything about you just by looking at your social media account. There are things that you will only share with them.

• Peer pressure. When you are often online and see what's going on in everybody's life, it will create an automatic pressure that you are not good enough in any aspect including beauty, body, wealth, lifestyle, health, talent, partner, family or popularity. There are many levels of insecurities that can be created when getting too involved in other people's lives online. In my opinion, the best way to deal with this is to be thankful for what you have. Nobody has it all. You might pick the best things out of 10 different people but you do not realise that each of those people that you feel insecure about might have their own insecurities and weaknesses. I even read recently in a newspaper article about a study conducted by a university in the USA. It mentioned that the study concluded that social media pressure led to a higher suicidal rate among teenagers when comparing students who used social media frequently and another group who did not. The students felt that they were not worth living due to day-to-day problems and that they were not good enough. They felt that everyone else in the world is doing great but them. Little did they know that social media does not portray people's lives completely. People do not share their problems, they share pretty pictures and a snapshot of the most interesting thing that happened in their day, week, month or year. A single picture is like 3 seconds of their lives whereas you do not know what happened the rest of their day. Nobody's lives are perfect, believe it or not. They say, look up to be inspired and look down to be grateful.

• Your mind is often elsewhere and you do not live in the present. When you are popular online, there is a tendency to prioritise online sharing compared to living the moment. Every single exciting thing has to be shared immediately! The person you are sharing that great moment then feels neglected and unimportant. If you do not get a great picture to share, you feel upset and easily aggravated. To deal with this, I feel that sharing should be done when you are by yourself and have some free time. This way, you are not compromising your time with people in order to share online. When you have alone time, it's up to you to decide whether to go online, to sleep, to read or to do any of your 'me-time' activities. It is slightly disrespectful to often go online and share when you are in the company of another regardless of who that person is. You should not think that 'Oh, he is chilled, no worries.' Be concerned about other people's feelings especially those who are present in reality. Virtual life can wait.

• Obsession with perfection. People who are usually instafamous show perfect pictures as you can see. Perfect outfit, perfect makeup, perfect background, perfect camera, perfect angle and perfect food. I personally like looking at beautiful pictures especially those with colour and great backgrounds. However, this obsession with perfection is unhealthy because the truth is life is not perfect. On the other hand, be aware that some people are sharing perfect pictures as a hobby. It does not necessarily reflect their lives. It is just a hobby online and it ends there. The unhealthy part is when they feel pressured to portray a perfect image of themselves because, in times when they are unable to, it will certainly feel distressing. In my opinion, in order to avoid this, try posting some imperfect photos at times. If you only wear thick makeup in photos, try posting some with light makeup sometimes. If you always dress up before taking photos, try posting some casual photos of you in a T-shirt. This will help break that perfection pressure within you. 

• Obsession with popularity. Many of us know that some people love the popularity and attention online. They love the likes, the comments, and the many followers. It makes them feel important, valued, loved and cared for. Sometimes, people who are striving for so much attention online lack attention in reality. Sometimes, they are only trying to get many followers and likes because they have a business or trying to promote something or themselves if they were a celebrity. That's alright in my opinion. If you have a reason and a goal for actively being online, then that's understandable. The problem is when some people are willing to do anything and everything, even dangerous things to get attention online. They are even willing to sacrifice their dignity and self-respect to gain online attention. Be aware that there are many many different ways to get attention. Achievement, talent and hard work will pay off at the end of the day. At the end of the day, you really want to put a lot of effort in things that can bring you far in the long run and not temporary fame.

Pros of Instagram

• Boosts self-confidence and self-esteem. Sharing your life moments, receiving likes and comments can increase your self-confidence. It makes you happy about yourself and what you have achieved. It makes you feel valued and that you are doing good. When people click like or comment, it builds a connection with that person and you feel the support from them in some indescribable way. In this busy world where we do not have the chance to see and update each other often, sharing, liking and commenting is the 'modern' way of connecting with others. I honestly prefer connecting over coffee and having a heart-to-heart convo but it is knowingly not possible all of the time. Some people you are not very close to and you just sort of just want to see each other's updates. Some people you are close to at heart but not close to geographically. When you share and if your account is public, it creates a connection with people who share the same interest as you. You will soon realise that many people like the things you like and it's a great realisation. Instagram also allows you to see into people's day-to-day lives, people from different backgrounds and countries and you can even learn more and increase your understanding of people's cultures and way of life.

• Connect with people especially long-distance friendships and family. I started liking Instagram more and more when I was in a different country. I had friendships in more than 10 different countries and it was not possible to see each other often. Sometimes, there was not much to update so sharing online about what I was up to from time to time created conversation and made us stay connected. I was able to see what was going on in their lives. This enabled us to chat about what is going on recently in each other's lives. When you are not connected with someone after many years, it is definitely quite hard to connect and you can be unsure of what to talk about. Staying connected helps you build strong friendships. However, Instagram is not the only way you can stay connected. You should also text and call/skype each other. Instagram is just one way. There are many other ways. You can even share photos directly to that person. However, sometimes I am not sure if so-and-so is interested in what I have to share. When I share it online and the person likes or comments, I know that they are interested in the same thing too. So, if you have lots of connections and friendships in different cities, countries and places, social media is a good platform to stay connected.

• Increases motivation for life and positive vibes. I don't know about you guys but I quite like seeing beautiful and happy pictures. It sends positive vibes and reminds us all that regardless of whatever happens in life, life moves on. For example, I know that so-and-so recently experienced a tragedy but she portrays a happy life and doing things she loves. I like seeing her updates because to me, she is sending the message to all that regardless anything happens in life, you can still be happy and focus on positive things in life. Also, I am aware that everyone has problems. So, when I see people happily sharing their happy moments, it's great because they are accepting of whatever happens in their lives, they want to put aside negativity and focus on positive things in life. I like this and that is why I quite like Instagram. I only stay in places where I feel positive energy so since I feel the positive energy on Instagram, I have an account. I like pretty pictures, sceneries, motivational quotes and see sharings from close friends and family. The instastory thing I find quite boring and sometimes people share things I am not interested at all so I don't normally look at those but the pretty pictures, yes:) I would be active when I have free time and feel like sharing. During my exam month last year, I was not on Instagram at all for a month. So, self-restraint is necessary so you do not get overboard.

• Captures memories and improves photography skills. The motivation of taking nice photos can be a hobby, you learn new skills and develop talent in capturing memories. Taking photos is necessary in my opinion, I really cannot imagine not taking photos at all. I like it when I look back at old photos and it rekindles many happy moments and reminds me of some things that I do not even remember. Photos capture moments that will never return and that is why I personally enjoy taking photos and saving them carefully. It allows you to see the good in every day when you are searching for good backgrounds or angles to take photos when you need to. For example, at a new place, during holidays or important events. You not necessarily need a selfie every single day to remind you how you looked like on December 21st compared to December 22nd. I am sure you look as gorgeous as you did the day before ;) Capturing moments and the things I did and sometimes, how I dressed and how I looked like from time to time is important to me. Everyone has their own preference when taking photos so have respect for others and others will respect you. 

• Instagram is a good platform for a business or promoting something or for others discovering your talent if your talent can be displayed in pictures. Those with a lot of influence on social media can create opportunities. For example, to advertise products or other important events. As a part of a blogging community, to take part in several of the events and activities, I had to make my Instagram account public. It really depends on your motive for being on Instagram. If it is just sharing with family and friends, then making your account private can keep you safe from online predators. If you need to or want to make your account public, then stay safe by sharing carefully and selected pictures only. It is easy to want to share every single thing online but remember, safety first. Be careful when sharing locations, names, dates and future events. A careful approach will keep you safe online.

Hope you found this helpful, any comments or feedback, do share below. Have a great day :)