Remembering Instagram
Instagram launched in 2010 as an alternative to Facebook (where we wished second cousins twice removed a happy birthday) and Twitter (where we wished death on strangers), Instagram was a more visual, positive social media platform. Primarily a photo sharing app (until it lost its way in the 2020s), Instagram was where we shared images of ourselves living our best lives; astride exercise bikes, eating attractive food, drinking green drinks, reading, meditating and flashing engagement rings, often at the same time. There was no sense of competition or jealousy here – yes, my posts often received upwards of 30 Likes (which was extremely high for the platform), but it wasn’t about numbers or metrics. What mattered was how good it felt to see how great everybody else’s life was. At no point did I ever close the app with a feeling of inadequacy, existential dread or a sense that other people were having a better time than me. Because of course, my own life was perfect too – my latest photo …
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