Introduction
My one and only New Year resolved to abstain from Instagram for a whole month. After giving 2023 some thought, I concluded that it was a year of information exhaustion and, on a personal level, apathy. social media The books were left unfinished, the long-overdue texts to friends and family were ignored, and reality shows took the place of movies, which were at best passive viewing while completing other tasks.
Last year, I spent most of my evenings “doom scrolling,” putting things away that I had planned to do, and consuming endless amounts of food and pop culture content (who doesn’t enjoy paparazzi videos?), most of which were reels or shorts that frequently stopped at the 60-second mark.
I also didn’t give any of this the attention it deserved. In an instant, it would be 4 am. Less than seven hours would pass before I had to report to work. Telling myself that the following day would be different made me feel worse. However, it would remain the same, naturally.
After three days of avoiding it completely, I gave myself a tiny break and opened Instagram on my laptop—my phone estimates that I spent two hours and forty-five minutes there each day. This allowed me to use the app for 20 minutes at night.
I needed to understand what was going on. The most significant realization is this: My digital persona on the many online platforms I used to interact with others played a significant role in how I saw myself and wanted to be seen. I was unable to stop using Instagram.
So, here is what I miss about not having the app on my phone:
Expression of creativity daily — There’s been a lot of writing, talking, and debate around Instagram’s algorithm, which is designed to keep you interested. Mark Zuckerberg continues to amass wealth in his numerous homes in sunny, idyllic California, while advertisements and businesses continue to proliferate.
However, Instagram has emerged as a platform that has allowed regular Indians to express themselves, following the demise of Tik Tok. In less than a minute, they can tell a gripping story, shoot with their phones, and outperform experienced editors in editing on social media
It serves as a wonderful reminder of the inventiveness present in this nation and the potential benefits of democratizing the art-making process, despite all the issues related to the social
Internet friendships and community On Social Media
The reality of friendship in the present era is that we either create new ones online or maintain the ones we already have by sending each other memes. According to a 2015 Pew Research Center study, 57% of American teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 reported making a new friend online, with 29% making five new acquaintances using these platforms.
One might also apply this figure to India. I’ve made many people with similar hobbies from all over the world through the internet. Most of them, I haven’t met. Still, they play a significant role in my life. Regarding former school and college pals who have relocated to distinct cities and lead entirely distinct lives from your own, in response to a narrative,
The news industry is now mostly focused on digital platforms. on social media Opinions are most important, and journalists are trying to establish their brands. It’s practically become standard practice in this environment to encourage personal work on all social media channels. It’s crucial to get approval from readers and peers, which frequently requires putting oneself out there.
The activity of being online A person’s online persona frequently deviates significantly from the genuine one. It is purposefully chosen, well-planned, and seamless in appearance. This is comparable to the façade we present during sizable work events. We wish to release what, despite occasional errors, we believe to be our best version.
Furthermore, the impression that this performance leaves on friends, coworkers, and family might be beneficial for projecting the image that we would like to project. If I said that this performance was without enjoyment, I would be lying, and I would be lying even more if I claimed that I wasn’t constantly monitoring the number of likes and views on my photos on social media.