Can we all agree that Instagram will never be the same & it's bugging the hell out of us lately? I sure can, and I've finally decided to not care so much about the numbers, and just enjoy the platform for what it's really there for. I'm going to go through some points throughout this post on things that affect not only myself, but I'm sure many other people get affected by with Instagram and especially the algorithm.
Constantly Checking Likes, Followers & Insights
This has turned out to be an unhealthy obsession I'm sure for most of us when it comes to Instagram. Checking how many likes on our recent upload, comparing ourselves to others with how many likes & followers you have to someone else. It's not needed for a start, do these things actually matter in real life? Maybe so if Instagram is your full time thing, but if it's your hobby, it's something we are supposed to be having fun with rather than taking it too seriously.
Instagram is a platform to be inspired by, gain creativity from and meeting new people. This is what I've learnt recently, as I've been using the screen time app on my phone, and Instagram is that one app I always go back to, just to either scroll, check stats and numbers or just waste my time on. I seriously need to stop this as none of this really matters. We should just have fun with it, rather than make it an unhealthy obsession with a lot of comparison thrown in. As this sure can affect our mental state & send some of us into a negative depressing spiral, where we think we aren't good enough, when in fact we are! We shouldn't let a phone app control us or our emotions. So this is where I say, set that screen time limit on your phone & step way from it when you know you should.
Instagram is a platform to be inspired by, gain creativity from and meeting new people. This is what I've learnt recently, as I've been using the screen time app on my phone, and Instagram is that one app I always go back to, just to either scroll, check stats and numbers or just waste my time on. I seriously need to stop this as none of this really matters. We should just have fun with it, rather than make it an unhealthy obsession with a lot of comparison thrown in. As this sure can affect our mental state & send some of us into a negative depressing spiral, where we think we aren't good enough, when in fact we are! We shouldn't let a phone app control us or our emotions. So this is where I say, set that screen time limit on your phone & step way from it when you know you should.
Engagement, Keeping Up-To-Date & Trying To Always Be Active
Engagement is lovely to do and support others through Instagram. I try to scroll through my feed most days and support people I follow by giving a like and a nice comment. It's also rather inspiring to see what content people are creating and getting inspired to create more content for your own platforms through this. I like to save people's content on certain boards so I can refer back to them and regain that inspiration to create better content. Scrolling can become addictive with Instagram though, but the more the algorithm updates, the more we have to engage with other people. Engaging with other people and their content should help not only them, but yourself and your account to grow. It shows you are supporting the community and giving back so to speak. The more engagement you give, the better. As for when you upload a photo and just wait for the engagement to roll in, take the time to support others on their content, as most of the time, people engage back with you. Sometimes I'm a bit too active when on Instagram, but not uploading enough, this is due to actually wanting to live in the real world not only on Instagram. Being active a lot is good for growing and engaging on the Instagram app, but is it necessary for your mental health?
Constantly Creating New Content
Content is a big thing if you want to grow on Instagram and beat the dam algorithm, but it doesn't always have to be brand new content all the time, it's more being consistent rather than having a picture with a new outfit every time, a lot of people like to see that outfit worn again in a different way. This is where I love the accounts that do 3 photos of the same outfit at different angles. But then, there's also good engagement from completely new content, so it's like a constant battle with it all.
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| Co-ord* - Femme Luxe | Heels* - Jenn Arbor | Bag - Kurt Gieger | Earrings* - Belle & Beau Jewellery | Wish Bone Necklace* - Belle & Beau Jewellery | Daisy Chain Necklace* - Belle & Beau Jewellery | Name Necklace - Birthday Present |
The point is with Instagram, no matter what you do on there, whether its a hobby, to be a content creator or it's a full time job for you, the point is, at the end of the day, this dam algorithm we really shouldn't care about. The numbers we shouldn't care about, we just need to take it one step at a time on this platform and honestly just have fun with it. Support others, create content that you love and just be yourself and the platform, that's how you will really shine, always be yourself!
I also wrote about How To Know When To Unfollow in this blog post if you want to read more about Instagram & what I've decided to change when using the platform.
*Items marked with an asterisk (*) are products that have been gifted to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions are honest and my own. For more information, please refer to my diclaimer.*
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