IS INSTAGRAM RUINING OUR LIVES?

Nearly everyone is now on social media now but is it starting to control our lives? Are we spending too much time focuses on how we look and capture a moment than the actual moment itself?

I have have had Instagram for over 6 years now and it has changed massively, when I first started using the app everyone just used to upload rubbish pictures of there cake or a garden chair. Instagram was no where near the platform that it is today. You could simply follow your friends or strangers and like and comment on there photos, that was pretty much it. Now it is a massive platform which has huge financial benefits if you a very large amount of followers and likes. Its turned into a job for so many people, with being a youtuber and influencer in the top three jobs rated by children.

I personally think that Instagram creates huge social pressure, particularly for so many young easily influenced children. It is so easy to edit and create a almost best version of yourself for everyone to see. Cutting out exactly what you want people to see. This can become very dangerous, no one is perfect and everyone has down days where it feels like nothing is going right. To then be able to sit at home and watch what looks like everyone else looking 'perfect' or even just having a great time is very upsetting. Its very easy to pick up on your own negative when everyone has there best perfected version of themselves on Instagram.

Likes, likes, likes. Its something which can show a level of popularity and also can make you feel accepted in society or in a certain friendship group. I think it links back to everyone wanting to be accepted and feel valued. Which is sad at the end of the day, if you're happy and want to create a memory it shouldn't matter how many likes the post gets. People very easily get obsessed with likes and can easily make someone feel like an insider if they don't get any or don't get as many as there friends.

I think Instagram has turned into a hugely influential platform which when you're younger and more easily influenced can be massively damaging and defiantly can lead to depression. The saying you can have too much of something comes to mind.