I turned off my Instagram for a month, here's what happened
Notre Dame de Paris under construction, France, June 2019
It’s no secret that to many creators and anyone alike, Instagram has lost its charm and, instead became a chore and a place of struggle and constant frustration #thestruggleisreal. Endlessly trying to have their content discovered and efforts noticed, and still losing followers, it became the place many people complain about.
I too was getting super frustrated with it. I was posting daily, trying to post on Instagram stories every single day, engaging with others (liking and commenting), and I still could not get ahead. I really don’t know what one needs to do these days to have his/her work noticed. To me though, posting just for Instagram’s sake and “likes” is not the answer. Buying followers or likes is not an option as I want to grow my following organically and in an honest way. I follow accounts that inspire me, but even those I can’t see since Instagram chooses not to show me the content of those I follow, and instead, shoves ads down my throat.
Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France, June 2019
But back to my decision to temporarily disable my account...
My husband and I embarked on a four-month trip through Europe in May. Between the limited phone and internet coverage, being active online was tough. We went on this trip to enjoy ourselves and yet, I was getting sucked into the #instagramgame, (the reason why I referred to it as a “chore” earlier).
When we planned this trip, we did not search for the places and cities #trending on Instagram, we chose to visit the places that interested us. We wanted to share these places to bring something different than the uber-recognizable spots seen on Insta over and over. However, due to the pressure I felt to constantly post, and the zero results I was getting (due to the #algorithm or my lack of knowledge, who knows...) when in #Scotland, I took the decision to temporarily disable my account.
I did not think of how long I’d keep it off, I simply wanted to rid myself of the frustration it caused and just enjoy our trip.
For safety, privacy, and personal reasons, I choose to share only certain pieces of my life online, just like many other #bloggers, or people. I also don’t like to post #inthemoment as I want and try to #bepresent and enjoy life’ moments offline. I don’t live my life for Instagram, I don’t just go for the #instagramable places - maybe that’s why my page isn’t growing? - and I share what I genuinely like and find interesting.
So what happened while I disabled my Instagram? I lived life! Without the pressure to post every day, without the algorithm frustrations, and yes, the distractions that come with it.
Of course, I documented a good part of our trip through numerous photos as well as wrote my impressions down and I will be sharing them with you. But my main goal was to imprint these moments into my memory, without being distracted with getting the perfect #instagramshot, or wondering if people would “like” it. I took photos to help memorize the places and the feelings they brought.
While my Instagram was off, we visited Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Paris (yes, the photos above are from there) and now are visiting the small country of Moldova. Without Instagram, I was able to observe and take notes of each of these places and let it all sink in. And the best part - I did not miss being on it.
While I know that not everyone can do this, I encourage you to take a break, at least for one day, disconnect from the online and live offline - I promise you’ll notice the benefits it has on your relationships and well being overall.
The question is though, would you turn it off?
Until next time.
XOXO,
Em