Hello!
From the title of this blog post I'm guessing you know that I deleted Instagram for a while. I planned to delete it for the whole month of July but there are a few things happening at the end of the month that I wanted to stay tuned in about so that's why I got it again.
Firstly, I just want to say that I didn't do this to get a blog post out of it or to seem cool or whatever haha. I just wanted to take a step back for a minute to be by myself and question a few things.
I read my Disconnect. blog post recently and I was like woah fair play for actually sticking to what I said. It was cool to see me do things that I said I'd do. But I was still unhappy with how I was using social media so on the 1st of July I just decided to delete Instagram completely.
It was honestly such a relief. I think it's so important to take a second just to ask yourself how you use social media and how it impacts your life.
I kinda convinced myself that I was addicted to Instagram so that was part of the reason why I deleted it for a while, but it turns out I'm not ahahaha so it's all g.
Thinking about it, I think that idea came from the fact that everyone you see these days is on their phone, like all the time. I totally understand that some people have important reasons but to be honest a lot of us go on our phones as soon as we have nothing to do, if we just want to pass the time.
I actually found that my creativity and productivity increased when I didn't have Instagram.
I only use my phone for music so I'm never really on my phone that much, so it was actually delish to just be in my own head without loads of other people's thoughts and opinions and recommendations etc.
Don't get me wrong, I think Instagram is a brilliantly creative place, but when you go on your phone when you're bored you don't really access that creativity that's waiting for a chance to come out.
Allow yourself to be bored instead of reaching for your phone straight away, you might be surprised what funky ideas you have.
I really don't like the word 'content' ahaha but one thing that I hate about Instagram is the amount of absolute shite content that doesn't really have a purpose and just exists for no real reason at all.
I totally get that the idea of social media is to interact with people, express yourself, and have fun etc, but does the world really need any more boomerangs of people with their drinks when they go out ahaha?
I get that people use Instagram for different reasons and I think it's cool how people present themselves online, but a lot of the time I feel that people post things because "that's what everyone else does" so in order for them to feel part of the group they do the same.
This might sound a bit weird but this is just a reminder that you don't have to post things on social media if you don't want to. Feck it, you don't even need to have any social media if you don't want to.
I really hope I don't sound as if I'm ranting, I'm kinda just typing while drinking some mint tea and listening to music so I'm in the zone ahaha.
Here are some reminders when it comes to Instagram:
- Go on Instagram when you want to, don't feel as if you have to be contactable / available all the time. Take a break if you want to. Schedule in some 'me time'.
- The follow button is there for a reason.
- The unfollow button is there for a reason.
- A person's Instagram is not the same as that person.
- Appreciate other people and their creativity and let it inspire your own creativity.
- You can like a person as a human being but that doesn't mean you have to follow them on Instagram.
A quick note on that last point, I think it's so important for everyone to remember that a person is not their Instagram. I like nearly everyone I talk to, cuz I try my best to see the best in people, but that doesn't mean that I follow them all on Instagram. Let's be real for a sec, you're not going to be on the same wavelength as everyone you meet so if you don't vibe with what they're posting online then you don't have to follow them. Or if you're already following them then don't feel any guilt in unfollowing them.
I'm kinda done with the whole politics of social media ahaha like I used to think like "If I follow him then I'll have to follow him and her and her too".
I know it probably sounds so weird but I think it's so important to remember that you can like (or not like) a person in real life and it's totally okay to not follow them online.
I could honestly talk for dayzzz about so many other things like Instagram and other companies learning more about you through your likes / follows / searches etc but I feel as if I've said enough for one blog post already lol.
Please take all of this with a pinch of salt, but I'd highly encourage you to ask yourself how / why / when you use Instagram and social media and see what you learn about yourself.
During my time spent away from Instagram, I really reinforced the idea that I want to try and help people be healthier, happier, more sustainable, and more human so hopefully I'll do that with my blog and Instagram so yeah I guess that's why I'm getting Instagram again, to hopefully inspire others and also to be inspired by others and what they do with their lives.
Sorry, this blog post is probably all over the place ahaha, but I hope you'll be able to take something away from it anyway!
Thank you so much for reading this and I'll see ya soon for another blog post.
Big love,
Darragh
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