And no, this isn’t going to be one of those articles where it’s all ‘ha ha, when I said hate, I meant love.’
So, I’m starting 2019 out on a spectacularly negative note, and I hope you don’t mind. As much as I try and love the platform of Instagram, most days, I find myself getting more irritated and less inspired. More JOMO and less FOMO. Maybe having such an opinion makes me officially an Old™, but I thought I’d put some of my major annoyances out into the ether, and see what resonates with you, dear reader.
Jumping straight in, shall we? As each point on the list is of equal irritation, I leave it up to do to help me rank these (or point out what I’ve missed).
- “I just posted a new post // Go give my post some love!” Who started this trend? Why did they do it? What purpose does it serve? On a platform that is already very much ‘look at me,’ the extraness of asking people to go and look what you just posted (and obviously to like it, duh) is often too much for me. Sure, if you’re announcing something important for your brand or a pivotal moment in your life, and you want to reach the most significant possible number of impressions, I get it, but otherwise, please stop. I’m begging.
- Nonsense/ridiculous quotes about life. Did you go to school to be a mental health practitioner? Are you Oprah? You’re not? Then please stop. Yes, it’s okay to be uplifting and share particular quotes that have meaning or value to you, but if each post of you wearing a new hat is a quote that could be found on a sampler, then maybe just leave off?
- Bad grammar. Don’t get me started. Give me longer form content any day.
- Lack of a chronological timeline. The blame here falls with Instagram, but with a continually changing algorithm, any and all traction I have in organically growing my account dies a little with each roll out on the platform. I know some of the blame lies with me, I could be more engaged and put out better content, but you know what? No. The hour a day (!!!!) I spend on Instagram is already about 45 minutes too much.
- Overall saturation. All new things are going to lose their shine at some point, and I think for my relationship with Instagram, that was last summer, maybe even earlier. There came the point where Instagram became a chore and did not (to borrow from Marie Kondo) spark joy. On a day to day basis, I have to force myself to post images, interact, and then get mad at myself for getting frustrated when things don’t do as well as I hoped. (“Spend more time on the platform, and you’ll see results,” I know that’s what you’re thinking, but it’s already too much time away from real pursuits). And still, when I’m bored, what do I do? Mindlessly scroll through my IG feed.
- What even is IGTV? No, seriously. Can someone explain to me what it does? Or show me a campaign where a brand was happy with the results? All the recommendations I get are for nothing I would be interested in watching.
- Lack of transparency. In case you didn’t realize I was a hypocrite, here’s me admitting to that fact. I only started using the #invited hashtag late last year. Even worse? I only just began including pricing in my posts as well to events and venues I’ve been invited to, and thus received a free meal. While there are definitely some industry leaders in this field (honestly, I’m only coming up with blogs which are great at disclosure, at this point), this is an arena where I could see a lot of positive growth.
- Lack of CSR. Hypocrite, comma, me (again). As much as I try and use my 20K followers to point out things that are important to me (mainly K9 Friends), there are other endeavors I could use (le gasp!) an actual post to shed some light on food wastage, or plastic use, or other F&B industry-specific things I care about to highlight. Similarly, maybe it’s just my feed, but I don’t see people calling attention to services and charities that could use the extra impressions. (I’m personally trying to do something about this — watch this space in 2019).
- Bots/buying likes and followers. It boggles my mind that this is still happening, and very obviously so. From the early days of Instagram to comment pods in effect, gaming the system to boost engagement has always been in place (spoiler alert, I’ve never once joined one). There are accounts I won’t even look at for being too annoyed by the obviousness of lame comments.
- Yes, even the blue tick is for sale. How do I know? Not only have I received multiple e-mails from companies promising me such features (lowest price USD$300), but also knowing people where a third party arranged the tick. I’m not trying to insinuate that the tick doesn’t belong for most people who have it, however, like everything, there is a price.
- Even if you don’t like it, you have to use the platform. This point is probably the most salient of all. Don’t get me wrong; I (mostly) love taking photos and sharing them with my followers. I genuinely enjoy highlighting and promoting dishes in their best possible light. However… There is no off. There isn’t a time when you get to say, ‘I’d really like to focus on sharing my photos in another context.’ As of now, people (chefs/PR/restaurants/industry professionals) just don’t care. Do it for the ‘gram or nowhere at all.
- Why does your pedigree pet need its own account? First of all, #adoptdontshop, second of all, it’s like trying to make ‘fetch’ happen. Sure, I follow a few animal accounts that are completely adorable, but for the most part, creating an account for your overpriced animal does nothing for me. (PS, follow K9 Friends Dubai if you need a daily doggy dose of amazing dogs who need homes).
Do I sound like a bitter Betty? I don’t particularly care. I honestly wish there was some way around using Instagram, but in 2019, I don’t think we’re quite there yet. Perhaps it’s time for a wee social media break…
While you’re here, follow me on Instagram? 😛
Let me know if I missed anything in the comments!
