"You'll Never Be Good Enough!" -Insta

     The massive photo catalog that is Instagram is used by over 300 MILLION photographers and boasts an upload rate of 58 pictures PER SECOND, making it one of the largest social media sites in the world (citation). Young adults make up a majority of Instagram users and are most susceptible to the number of likes = acceptance by others game. Materialism/Love/Parties/Boobs generally receive the most likes, so more and more get posted. An appalling majority of photos posted will fit into one of the following categories:

You don't have enough stuff (includes food pics)

     The presence of material objects increased exponentially just after Christmas. To be fair, I also encountered a handful of family pictures, but they pale in comparison.

You're not "in love" enough

     Occasionally an extension of materialism: "your significant other doesn't buy you enough stuff."

You're not fun enough

     You may or may not have been invited, but not being there was a huge mistake. You will hear about this party until next weekend, and so it goes. 

You're not sexy/attractive enough

      Either I unfollowed the worst offenders, or the #selfie era is on the decline. Yay!

     Each of the above photos were posted within the last day. I believe they represent an average personal Instagram timeline, granted I do not follow any brands like Nike or VS PINK. Regardless, as discussed last term in Self and Other as well as my Advertising Influence class, social media is purely a form of carefully designed self-advertisement. When people go to the trouble to dress up or put on makeup (aka become the "best" version of themselves), they want to document it. People want to be seen at their very best, so they only post pictures that depict an ideal life. This practice is so widely accepted that deviating from the glamorized norm has become an opportunity for comedy such as the "Average Life Goals" account that satirically posts pictures of New Balance sneakers and outdated mini vans.
   
     This practice has no written law, but society has encouraged it to the point that social media has become addictive and detrimental to the young population it attracts. Users see only these idealized lives and quickly develop a sense of inadequacy in their own experiences. In reality, there will always be someone richer, prettier, more talented, and more outgoing... but also in reality, these people are represented incorrectly. Eliminating Instagram is not the solution, the solution is to be conscious of these norms to use social media in a positive way.

     Healthy ways to use Instagram:
          1. Don't always fall for it. Be skeptical of the volunteers wearing expensive
              jewelry, tons of makeup and taking photos instead of volunteering. You
              are the epitome of this post.
          2. Don't "post to please." Post what you like, or what makes you happy.
          3. Put the phone down. Anything is okay in moderation, but never forget that
              you are so much more than that profile and your number of followers.
         
     Suggestions??

Disclaimer: I love Instagram. I actively (although consciously) participate in the very oppression that I am critiquing. Also, none of these photos are my own, but I have excluded their owners to respect privacy