Social media platforms are, I would postulate, some of the most significant contributors to our rapidly-developing culture of narcissism. This is especially true of Instagram, which is basically the social media version of a self-promoting picture book.
Full disclosure: I love Instagram. Between all the dumb crap that my cats do, and a weird recent obsession with trying to start up a fitness channel, I have plenty of self-validating content to post around the clock — and the subsequent “likes”, follows, and comments make me feel like I, a single participant in one of the largest social media platforms around, matter. That’s what’s so great about Instagram.
Unfortunately, that’s also what’s so dangerous about the seemingly innocuous platform. Everything we post — and I truly challenge you to find a counterexample here — is from a validation-seeking standpoint. While you can certainly make a case from this perspective for almost any social media contender, I believe that Instagram is the worst offender here.
Here’s why: rather than “asking” others to validate our words (and maybe an occasional meme or selfie) a la Facebook, Instagram is sheer self-promotion.
We use our bodies, our pets, our food, our surroundings, our belongings — basically any attractive asset available — to fulfill our insatiable need for validation.
The more followers we have, the more likes we average, the more we want.
Don’t get me wrong, this makes IG completely invaluable from a business standpoint. We can use our accumulated follower bases to influence and control our brands, which – while still self-serving — can have positive effects outside of our own personal growth.
Unfortunately, these factors also make Instagram downright devastating to that same personal growth.
Now, I’m certainly not going to stop using (and abusing) Instagram for my own personal gain — and neither should you.
I’m also not going to pretend for a second that anything I say or do on IG is for a purpose other than validating the superficial qualities of my own existence, be they trivial or otherwise.
And, should you agree with me, I would encourage you to do the same.
Jack Lloyd has a BA in Creative Writing from Forest Grove's Pacific University; he spends his writing days using his degree to pursue semicolons, freelance writing and editing, oxford commas, and enough coffee to kill a bear. His infatuation with rain is matched only by his dry sense of humor.
