Instagram Controversy, Is Everyone Quitting?
In response to the sudden obsession with one social media girl ‘quitting’ Instagram
There’s no doubt what she addresses is partly true. I think it really applied to her as she was promoting and working with people who didn’t share her core values. Jumping into the world of Instagram and saying yes to everything left right and center will never be fulfilling and will always lead to comparison and self-confidence issues. Not loving what you post about is absolutely the first problem. Working with brands who do not share the same values can only be stressful and problematic when trying to define yourself through things you do not resonate with personally.
Yes, I think if you are not content with yourself, social media can be used as a source of validation and it can be easy to get caught up in. This has to do with the individuals’ original mindset... Sit down and think, what are you actually doing this for? Who are you trying to impress and why? Where do you stand with your own self love and confidence? Comparing your 'behind the scenes’ life, to everyone’s highlight reel of images is a problem in itself. Understanding the media that you’re using and the way it can be successful is the key to seeing through large profiles and realising that someone else’s professionally edited and carefully selected image, does not make your lifestyle or experiences invalid. (I recently based my final university artwork on this concept!)
You’ve got to know something’s wrong when you only compare yourself to others online, taking hundreds of photos in an outfit you don’t even like, just to impress people you don’t even know. This is where I feel she went wrong! She agreed to promote certain brands for money, not for what she personally liked. Therefore, she shared a false version of herself, and attracted a false audience of followers who further supported this 'false identity’.
From a blogger/influencer perspective, before working with a brand I always make myself think do I actually like these guys? Do I want my own personal brand to be involved with them? Am I going to have to force myself to post about them? Do I honestly like the product? There are certain lines I do not cross and I always make this clear to brands when I’m speaking with them. Through social media I’ve had the chance to work with brands I’ve loved for years.
If you stay true to how you feel about things, review honestly and keep your feet on the ground by not float away with the deception of there ever being ‘perfect’ people.. You can enjoy the products and the opportunities. You can embrace the world of social media and sculpt it to suit you. There is plenty of choice when it comes to working with brands. In her case, a simple no to businesses that did not share her values would have definitely been beneficial for her. I feel as though she got too carried away and too involved in a life that didn’t represent her. I just feel like she was posting and writing about the wrong brands and ideas, her energy would have been better spent on brands and products that she researched well and personally found worked with her!
You can enjoy social media, you can be a blogger or an influencer and stay a real person. Everything she says is true, but only if you let yourself get lost! If you have your morals, ethics and heart in the right place, you can do great things with social media.