Bye Instagram!
We can’t tell people to declutter digitally through the use of social media, we need to clean platforms like this and opt for more genuine content.
One afternoon I was lying in bed suffering from period pain. The odd video of a cute AF Chow Chow being lazy was delightful. But I don’t need it every day, and certainly not the first thing in the morning.
As a person trying to build an online following and brand, it certainly feels like Instagram is essential. However, things are changing. If I am a preacher for genuine living, how can I attempt to silence the voices of expertly curated life on this app? I can’t. As an early adaptor of any kind of woke lifestyle, I am quitting Instagram. What am I going to do instead?
Digital decluttering starts with Instagram
Overdoing anything is never a good idea. Technology plus Covid-19 have made us more reliant on social media to stay connected to others than ever.
As many have pointed out, the definition of connection has become obscured. First, do we really know what’s happening with our friends based on their Instagram Story? We are always putting forth the side of ourselves that we want others to see, this includes the good and the bad.
When we are being ‘vulnerable’, is there a risk of us using the platform to victimise ourselves and seek sympathetic voices to support a self-pitying argument? I don’t know, but there’s a risk.
To reach an authentic self, we can’t ignore the influence of social media. The definition of living the high life, being pretty and rich, the monopolisation of activist voices, etc. We have to find our own voice, not to find relatable voices constantly.
So delete the Gram.
Let’s truly connect
If we talk about a connection in the old days, the time is slightly slower. For example, two of the cutest novels — Daddy Long Legs and 84 Charing Cross Road, tell stories of connections sustained by letters for years.
If we are fascinated by the use of owl mails in Harry Potter, why not appreciate a slower but deeper connection with people?
Swap texting and Instagram stories for a conversation. Swap a conversation for a letter. Evolve from pen paling to a face-to-face catch-up.
You might secretly agree with me, we are so hyper-connected and disconnected at the same time nowadays, that when the lockdown is over, we might even feel that meeting others in person is such a chore.
We can connect with people in person and in thoughtful words much more authentically than giving a thumbs up to their filtered, photoshopped picture that’s most likely an #latergram.
#DeletetheGram
Relating back to myself
I was also deleting Instagram for the sake of knowing myself again.
There was a point during lockdown that I woke up feeling miserable. Why is that guy on Instagram getting thinner from this at home Chloe Ting work out but I was getting a lockdown belly? Have I not used my WFH time wisely enough?
I hate it. I was scrolling through the feed on my mornings before I left my bed and it sucked the life out of me. I wanted to do a Reel video, but that involved me tidying up the house, which frustrated me so much. So I stayed in bed instead.
Deleting Instagram helped me to stop automatically clicking on the evil icon and consider what my relationship with my phone is.
I redeveloped an automatic habit now when I woke up. I don’t think it’s easy to be all intentional and mindful the moment you are awake, that’s when Instagram catches its audience. They don’t know what they are doing, so they automatically go straight to the phone for eye-catching photos.
We must replace a toxic auto-pilot move with a positive auto-pilot move.
I am not archaic, I am still using my phone. But I have been doing the same 10-minute meditation with the app Insight Timer to wake up my senses and intentional self.
I don’t even get out of bed. I just cocoon myself in the duvet and sit on my pillow to meditate. It’s not formal at all, get over it! I am barely awake, no Instagram aesthetic needed.
Here are a few that I’d totally recommend you to try:
Delete the Gram! P.S. I am starting a little circle on Insight Timer, just for my soul friends. If you want to join, click here! No pressure or commitment. I will be writing sweet messages from time to time, and we can all share the Insight timer meditations we like.
