I’m Saying BYE to 100K Instagram Followers
It's been reel.
We’ve been complaining about Meta’s decisions, ever since they scrapped the chronological timeline way back in 2016. Things keep getting worse and I’m nearing a breaking point. It doesn’t feel like I’m the only one. Even though their numbers say they’re more popular than ever??
I don’t think my friends post there anymore, but I’m not sure, I never see when they do post. Unless your friends are ‘content creators’, with an understanding of the algorithm, it’s unlikely you’ll see any updates on the ‘gram. Instagram has gone from a photo sharing app, to… well it can’t really make it’s mind up, can it?
With the recent announcement that (unless you fill out a form to opt out) your content will be used to feed Meta’s AI and the pay to play rumors – apparently for $350 a month you’ll get increased engagement, I’m pretty much done.
I have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to Insta. I gained a large following and a regular income as a result. In the last few years, things have really started to change and I’m wondering if posting there is worth the toll on my mental health (seriously).
They say that they put users first. To me, it feels like they put users last and they’re barely trying to hide it.
Last year they introduced verification for everyone. So you can now pay for a blue tick. Only verified people complained about this (obviously) and to most people it sounded like champagne-problems.
I’ll admit though, I was really annoyed. I know a virtual blue tick beside my name is meaningless, it also meant a lot. I worked hard for it and now you can just buy it, it felt sleezy. It showed that they valued money over celebrating the hard-working creators. These very creators are a big reason for the app’s success in the first place.
This was when I started to realise; it’s the advertisers and shareholders who come first.
Meta is a business, with an expectation from its investors. We shouldn’t be surprised at the actions of any social media company. As Andrew Lewis says “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product”.
Do you actually enjoy using Instagram? I used to. I did.
I log on now with a boring monotony. I’m bombarded with ‘suggested posts’. They show me something I’m *actually* interested in, every 8 or 9 posts. I scroll for 30 seconds with a monotonous predictability, check messages and then I’m out.
Everything feels like a quick fix. An explosion of pixels begging you not to scroll. Video is proven to keep you there longer, so it’s mostly video you’re shown.
Reels exploded my career in 2020, but they’re not realistic (reelistic?). I cram 7hours of painting into a 13 second clip. I tried 30 seconds, it was too long, no engagement. I’m starting to find that even 13 seconds is becoming too much. Especially, if I don’t come up with a clever on screen ‘hook’ for the first few seconds.
A good move for artists at the moment is the ‘turning a canvas to reveal a painting’ trend. I hate it, I don’t do it but it works. Maybe I’m just old, but the dumbing down of a creative process like this, just makes me sad.
Are we going to keep compromising ourselves to cater for an ever-decreasing attention span? If Reels hadn’t come along, I’m not sure I’d be here on Substack. I’m craving long form. A proper meal over insta snacks.
Instagram will deny it, but they punish sporadic posters. Last year I was working on a series of large paintings. They took me a long time to make and so I didn’t have much ‘content’ to post.
It was a scary time because I could see my instagrowth slowing. When I did post, I noticed a huge drop in engagement. As I post more regularly, it picks up. I’m tired, man. I’m an artist, not a content creator.
I don’t think I’d be so upset if it didn’t used to be such a great place. But wait, you know what platform I’m really into at the moment? I’ll give you two guesses.
If you’re not already subscribed and you’d like to join me on this journey.. You know what to do.
It’s scary to be starting from scratch again, but here goes!
Insta leads you to brain obesity : quick fix, quick bites of junk for bored minds always in need of something easy that don't ask for them to work, but never satisfied enough to stop the scroll. If you want to get in shape and recover from this soulless entertainment, Substack will feed your mind, ask you to think, share opinions, engage with others,... you'll feel human again and connected to others again. Just hope Substack as it grows, won't fall into the same trap as Meta.
I used to love Insta, too. Now, like you, I basically go on to check for DMs, *maybe* scroll for a couple seconds, then I’m out.
Substack is so much better.