Instagram – A Fickle Mistress

I bet my headline caught your eye if you’re an Instagram junkie like me. Who am I kidding? It’s 2021 and everyone’s an Instagram junkie. Well, with the exception of my husband. He’s one of those rare contented souls who doesn’t need validation from strangers ogling his meals, commiserating his toothaches, applauding his outfits and indulging his loo breaks on the ‘gram. Sooo, though I’m blessed with a wonderful and supportive partner IRL, Instagram is an omnipresent third wheel in our life, or rather, a truly fickle mistress that loves to have her way.

Before you call me out for being sexist, let me explain why I’ve chosen to address Instagram in the feminine. Not because women are the original sinners, but because they are the original cause for temptation. Even if you don’t appreciate my biblical references, I’m sure you’ll agree with me on one point – Instagram is definitely sexy! Hence, she is well-described as a mistress, an especially fickle one. Even if you hate her lack of attention, despise her sudden temperamental algorithmic changes, and detest her fake sense of community; you secretly love her engaging manner, look to tools like a hashtag generator to try and show her that your content matters, can’t live without her charming appreciation of your work, and the constant challenge she offers to your creativity.

Now that we’ve established Instagram as a fickle and tiresome yet utterly desirable lover, you may be wondering how she fits in to the staid and serious topic of ‘Mental Health Talks’ championed by Blogchatter’s #CauseAChatter? In my view, the answer is obvious! Instagram* is responsible for a large percentage of mental health problems, behaving much like a pampered mistress that would go to any length to keep her lover on his toes.

If you aren’t quite convinced, let’s compare notes, shall we?

• Instagram is the queen of sudden mood swings and changes algorithms faster than most people change clothes
• She unfairly showers more attention on folks that are rich… in followers 
• She gives undue importance to how presentable a person or grid looks on the outside, without appreciating the unique creativity of the person or content inside
• She is jealous of her younger competitors and loves to copy them outright. Her IGTV was a not-quite-subtle rip-off of YouTube and Insta Reels was a quick and easy replacement for TikTok
• She is suspicious of your intentions at all times, and loves to ignore or shadow ban you at the slightest odd behavior
• She is adept at attacking your vulnerabilities, or more specifically, allowing other people to attack your vulnerabilities with negative and rude comments

Need I say more?

I’m sure none of this is new to you but will you ever truly give up on her? It might require another monumental government ban for that to happen! Having established that our lovely playmate is royally screwing our mental health, it becomes imperative to keep our sanity while maintaining this passionate love affair.

Here are a few pointers that will help:

• Let Instagram be the queen of your heart but not your brain. You should know better than to take her too seriously!
• Allot strict timings for your visits to her and don’t stick around longer than you need to
• Learn to ignore her erratic behaviour and keep doing what you do best – fuelling her with consistently great content
• Don’t make her your first priority. She should always be the back-up option, no matter what your intention or career path
• Speak up! Don’t keep your frustrations bottled up. Reach out to others and complain, you’ll be surprised at how many kindred spirits you’ll find!
• Develop a thick skin to the negative comments she so easily directs your way. Remember the age-old adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me.”

Dear reader, ultimately the power to tame this fickle mistress, otherwise known as Instagram, is completely in your hands. Every time you feel frustrated, anxious or angry, just remember why you sought her company in the first place. It may have been to display your creativity to the world, a way for your business or network to grow, or simply a means to enter a new world and meet like-minded people. Whatever the noble intentions may have been in the beginning, they’ll put things in the correct perspective for you – that you are the one calling the shots here.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy Ann D’Silva and me, and sponsored by RRE Studios and SHOWCASE Events.

This post is part of Blogchatter’s CauseAChatter

*https://time.com/4793331/instagram-social-media-mental-health/#:~:text=While%20the%20photo%2Dbased%20platform,%E2%80%9Cfear%20of%20missing%20out.%E2%80%9D

**This post is not sponsored. Opinions are entirely the author’s own.

***Copyright in pictures and content belongs to nooranandchawla.com and cannot be republished or repurposed without express permission of the author. As I am a copyright lawyer by profession, infringement of any kind will invite strict legal action.