10 Signs You Are Instagram Obsessed
Us millennials born in the 80s will remember the time when we used to get home from school and go on AIM or MSN messenger to chat with our friends, while waiting around 20 minutes for our computer to load. Fast forward to 10 years later, and that computer has become something that is carried around everywhere in people’s hands! Instagram has recently become the most powerful and significant social media applications, surpassing Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat.
I also remember the days of needing to update my Facebook, which, I do from time to time, however it seems that it is more common to check Instagram rather than Facebook in order to get your daily updates on your friends and favourite celebrities. I recently discovered that Instagram has become the main application that I use on my phone, after tracking my I phone app usage. Here are 10 Signs you too are Instagram obsessed!
1. You check Instagram the minute you wake up and as the last thing before you go to bed
With this one, I am definitely guilty! As soon as I wake up, before I have the strength to actually get out of bed, I need to check out what happened on Instagram overnight. If you use Instagram to slowly wake yourself up and as a kind of morning newspaper, then you may be on your way to being Instagram obsessed. Extra points are added if you also check Instagram as the last thing you look at on your phone before bed. I am also very guilty of this, as well as getting lost in the web of the explore page with no return. Help!
2. You check Instagram all day long, at work, on the way to work and in any spare moment
This is another major sign that your usage of Instagram may not be on normal levels, and that you might actually be Instagram obsessed. It’s definitely addictive to spend your time on your commute or in your break during work to scroll through your feed. I wonder what I could achieve if I spent that time reading a book instead? Don’t remind me! I already feel extremely guilty as it is! 🙂
3. You obsess over Instagram models and follow their skincare, makeup and fashion
This is definitely one of the main reasons for my Instagram obsession. To be fair, it is in a way like flipping through the pages of a women’s magazine. I am constantly in awe of the numerous Instagram models I see on a daily basis and really, I just want to know all of their secrets. How did they get such flawless makeup, what angles did they use, what skincare secrets will they reveal? So in a way, what I’m doing is research, and that’s OK, right?
4. You update your story several times a day
These days, has it really happened if it hasn’t appeared on your story? I’m not sure it has! One of my obsessions is definitely keeping up with the people I follow by viewing their stories, as well as posting my own stories about what I get up to, my thoughts, and experiences throughout the day. Obsessed much? I think so…send help!
5. You have a folder of photo editing apps and know the best Instagram filters to use by heart
Yes, the perfect Instagram shot. Does anyone really do no-filter these days? Of course, it is possible to get a stunning shot with the right angles, the right lighting, and of course if you manage to catch the golden hour. However, I am pretty sure all of those Instagram models and celebrities have tweaked their photos just a little. Anyone who is anyone will know about Facetune. Personally, I prefer not to use Facetune or any apps that edit the actual features of your face, but a little lighting change here and there, that’s ok right?
In the Instagram post below, Huda Beauty talks about the pressure of using Facetune that a lot of girls face today. It’s OK to show your natural beauty girls! A little photo enhancing is perfectly fine, but remember that you are naturally beautiful!
6. You know how to get the most of Instagram algorithms and the right time to publish a post
This is really important to any true Instagrammer. Of course, if you post in the middle of the night, no one will see it! It’s definitely important to post at a time that will maximise your exposure, and perhaps use a little hashtag here and there. It does depend on the person, and those who are really bold with many followers will go without a hashtag. However, hashtag or no hashtag, the time you post does make a difference, on your number of likes at least! But that is not important right? 🙂
7. After posting, you constantly check to see how many likes you have gotten and who liked them
Any true Instagram junkie will definitely have a look at how many likes their post may get, it’s only natural, right? I am sure it’s nice to know who actually looked and acknowledged your post, similar to Facebook and Twitter in that respect. It definitely gets dangerous if you allow the number of likes you get to affect your self-esteem, no one should allow that to happen no matter how dedicated you are to Instagram. In the end, Instagram is not real life and your self worth does not depend on how many likes a post may receive. This is, unfortunately, one of the more unhealthy sides with an Instagram obsession and I hope everyone out there takes care of themselves to disconnect from time to time.
8. You plan your outfits around Instagram
I don’t remember a time where I could just wear an outfit and not consider that it might appear on some form of social media. In this day and age, you absolutely have to be Instagram ready at all times! You never know if you’re going to end up in someone’s story or post or if you’re going to make your own stories or posts…so the pressure is definitely on to be well presented at all times! And if you’re into fashion and make a lot of fashion posts, then your day will absolutely revolve around picking the best outfits for your next post. Not to mention, choosing the perfect background setting for those shots your Instagram husband may take for you! 😉
9. You follow and keep up with celebrities via Instagram
We have actually never before had time to be able to properly engage with people we admire or celebrities. Instagram really opened the doors to that, allowing us a glimpse into celebrities’ lives like never before, in a way that is not dictated by the media. Instagram, in a way, has really humanised celebrities and public figures, allowing us to comment, like and even at times converse with people we admire. If you are truly Instagram obsessed, then you would definitely be following a host of celebrities, at times liking their posts or commenting. What a world we live in!
10. You love, share and create Memes
Oh, Memes. I really have forgotten the time where they didn’t exist. What a sad time it was! I feel very lucky to be in a generation where we can share and send jokes so effectively in the form of a succinct picture. I have to admit that I have spent countless hours scrolling through Memes on my favourite accounts including @thefatjewish and @commentawards. If you truly are Instagram obsessed, you will either have created memes, tagged your friends in hilarious ones you have found online, or made jokes with your friends in real life and referred to a meme. For that one, I am guilty as charged! One does not simply, scroll through Instagram once a day!… I don’t always use Instagram, but when I do, it’s all the time! Bonus points to anyone who knows those Memes. You are 100% Instagram Obsessed!
What are your thoughts on the signs above, do feel that you are Instagram obsessed? Leave your thoughts on the comments below!
Featured Image Source: pexels.com
