What Should I Do About Instagram?

This is the last picture I instagrammed.

I have a love/hate relationship with Instagram. I’m constantly telling myself that I should just stop using the platform altogether, but then something always brings me back. Boredom, most likely. I know using Instagram isn’t something that should bring me stress, but I feel like I could be using it differently and enjoy it a lot more.

What I Like About Instagram:

• I like seeing beautiful pictures. I know it’s not always an accurate portrayal of someone’s life, but I still like it. I’m a very visual person, and I enjoy seeing nice photographs of people’s homes/family/outfits. And let’s be honest, we all have that friend who posts dark, blurry photos, and I think that’s worse than a photograph that’s been carefully staged.
• I like getting tips, tricks, and ideas. I follow a lot of Instagrammers who share really valuable content, which is awesome! I think it’s great that I can get dinner ideas and at-home workout plans and outfit inspiration all at once.
• I like staying connected with friends and family members. If it wasn’t for social media, I wouldn’t have seen all the drama after my niece Lily chopped off her own hair. I think it’s great that I can stay close to people I care about (without a lot of effort).

What I Don't Like About Instagram:

• I don’t like how Instagram is all about STUFF. I feel like everyone on Instagram is always talking about their stuff; makeup and hair products and clothing, oh my! People even use hashtags like #FridayFavorites or #MondayMustHaves just so they can talk more about stuff (probably because they make money if you buy something they recommend). It drives me nuts!
• I don’t like how everyone on Instagram is a brand or an influencer. I know this is hypocritical because I also have an Instagram “brand,” but it bothers me that nobody can just be a person who shares pictures. You’ve gotta have a fancy brand and your own hashtag and a posting schedule.
• I don’t like how Instagram breeds perfectionism. And comparison. And jealousy. If you don’t have a fancy white kitchen with subway tile and granite countertops, don’t bother sharing a picture of what you ate for dinner. Instagram makes me feel like I’m the only one living in a ugly house wearing ugly sweatpants. Even though I KNOW I’m not!

So here’s my dilemma. I know that I shouldn’t care about any of that stuff and just quit Instagram once and for all, but I care! I like Instagram! I want to use it! And as silly as it sounds, I care about my Instagram aesthetic. I love seeing someone’s curated feeds and admiring their style. I want that. But I know that what I’m doing right now isn’t really good for me. I want to use Instagram in a way that works for me, but also satisfies my need to share nice pictures and have a cohesive theme. Right now I have two separate profiles, one for my personal stuff, and one for my design projects.

I wish my feed looked like this!

What do I do?

I think I’ll continue using Instagram for now, but try for less structure on my design account and more structure on my personal account. I’m also going to look for people who are using Instagram in a way that I want to use it and try to copy them. And I’m going to choose an aesthetic for my feed, because I’m annoying like that. Wish me luck!

♡♡♡
Rebecca

ALSO, if you’re not already following me, you can find me at www.instagram.com/rebecppeterson (personal) and www.instagram.com/rebeccapetersonstudio (design)