To quit or not to quit Instagram.

So, about a year ago, I decided to create an Instagram account after years of restraining myself from doing it. The reason why I eventually capitulated myself to this social media platform was basically caused by my FOMO nature (Fear of Missing Out). Since all my friends were on Instagram, they all knew what each others were doing without even telling one and another. And then there was me, clueless as always, not knowing what they were all up to. "Don't you know she's in US to visit her sister?" "Don't you know he's already back in town?" "Don't you know blah blah blah?". YES of course, I didn't know because no one had told me before you people did...

A part of me actually just wanted to share how my life was going. I thought, some people should know that I just checked in to the coolest place in the town, or I was just hanging out with my friends because I was so popular lol just joking. And oh, I had these cool photos of mine not yet to be posted. Yeah, social validation. We are all craving for social validation.

I remember laughing at my friends who were making a numerous attempts to create a cool Instagram story when we were at a fancy restaurant. Now I did the same. Shame on you, Pril.

You think you know them, but you don't.

You know what's scary about Instagram? This platform has successfully changed our behaviour in trying to get to know a person.

A friend of mine once tried to set me up with a guy, but he gave me this person's Instagram account for me to check him out first. So off I go to his profile. He was good-looking, mature, and had this manly vibes on him. I guess he loved travelling and a big fan of football (according to his photos and stories lol). Anyhow, I wasn't interested because he seemed like living a luxurious life (lol I always love living a simple life). Besides, there was no way he liked a girl like me.

See? It happens all the time (at least to me). Whenever I want to know a person, the first thing I do is to search this person's profile on Instagram. After scanning the photos and read some interactions in the comment section, I have some kind of prejudices on what kind of person this person is.

But the thing is, we know our lives are not limited to our Instagram feeds. Not all the important things in our lives are immortalised in a social media post. Because there are so many things happened outside the platform, uncaptured yet remembered.

We are also super selective on what kind of photo we would like to post. Am I look good in this picture? Is the filter match with the current posts in my feed? Will this post get many likes? Yeah, try to list every questions that pops up in your head when you try to post a single damn photo.

Our Instagram feeds and stories are the kind of life we want everybody believes is ours. But our feeds are not good representations of our lives. I could make it look like I love reading, that I'm popular, or cool by the pictures and stories I post on Instagram. So when someone visit my profile, they will think that I'm living... well... a good life?

And the thought of someone having some kind of expectation of me after they visit my Instagram profile makes me sick...

So, to quit or not to quit?

Even though I've tried countless times to deactivate my account (no one noticed I believe), I will always find my way back to reactivate it. Damn you stickiness...

But for now, let me take a breath and rest. I'm on a hiatus from Instagram for god knows how long.