Essay: Instagram as a Cultural Artifact

This essay examines the impact that Instagram and other forms of social media has on mental health and self-perception.

Instagram—the site we all know and love. It helps us to share our lives and connect with others. Not to mention, it is a great tool to refer to whenever you are trying to avoid eye contact or awkward silences with others, mindlessly scrolling in order to send forth the idea that you are “pre-occupied.” Although Instagram seems great on the surface, many critiques have arisen that address the impacts it has had on people today; specifically, the psychological, social, and emotional impacts it has had on Generation X, or the Millennials. In addition, it perpetuates the artificial importance of image, and the idea that one should base his or her self-value on other’s opinions; or in this case, on however many “likes” he or she gets.

Instagram is described as an application used to share photos and videos—it can be a great way to connect with others by keeping one’s followers updated on his or her life through shared posts. Additionally, it can be a great tool for businesses, blogs, and other large companies; it can help engage with fans and customers. In fact, research shows that “Instagram generates 120 times more engagement per follower than Twitter.” (Pinkham) It can also be helpful when investigating what appeals to customers, reaching new audiences, and marketing one’s business or product. It may also help to spread awareness for social issues, charities, and other good causes. It provides the ability to do all of these things within minutes—it is convenient, easy to use, and entertaining, which is why so many people love it. However, is there a line that when crossed, Instagram begins to do more harm than good?

Officially, Instagram is a social networking application made for sharing photos and videos from a smartphone, but others may argue that it is an application used to broadcast what one is doing in order to receive validity from followers. Generation X is widely known as the “digital natives,” and as 90% of Instagram users are under the age of 35, Instagram proves to be no exception in the widely held conception that Millennials are technology-dependent. In an Elite Daily article, it states “[Instagram] is breeding a culture of people who are not only fascinated with looking, but are also permanently aware that they are being looked at.” Thus, society, particularly Generation X, is evolving to become obsessed with their image and how others may view them. Many spend a great deal of time sorting through hundreds of images and editing photos in order to create the perfect flattering and idealized portrayal of his or herself. Consequently, this causes the world on social media to move further and further from reality.“It has become a tool for self-invention as much as it is a tool for sharing, which is probably why people live in their phones.” (Mariella) Through this self-invention, one may begin to compare his or her realself to his or her “Instagram-self,” which may be two completely different people. In turn, thisprovokes a self-obsessive and self-conscious nature; people want to feel good about themselves but only through the opinions of their followers.

In addition, these feelings of validation that some may experience through the use of Instagram leads many to become addicted. “We now look at people, dinners, events as opportunities to show-pony and showcase our lives. Everyone wants fame—our gram-obsession is a slice of that.” (Fineman) In a way, Instagram gives individuals his or her own taste of fame, leaving some craving more. In fact, many will even go to the extent of buying followers. For instance, Buy Instagram Followers has packages ranging from $90 for 1,000 followers to $1,350 for 15,000 followers. This provokes the question, “What is more important, 10,000 fans or followers, or 100 who will actually engage with you?” Sadly, it may be assumed that many people’s initial answer (even if they don’t admit it) would be the 10,000 followers because it gives them the sense of success or importance; when in actuality, it is just an empty number. In a FastCompany article, author Meredith Fineman writes, “The ‘golden number,’ as my brother calls it, is 11 likes. Once you get 11 likes on a photo, you no longer see user names, but instead you see just a number.” It can be inferred that many people follow this same concept; but why? It all traces back to the fact that Instagram users are desperately searching for approval from followers; one’s perception of self-worth increases as “likes” are accumulated.

Many people fear that technology is turning Generation X into “anti-social socialites.” “No longer are we satisfied with the simplicity of face-to-face interactions. We must now complement them with constant messages to absent friends and updates about their lives via endless forms of social media” (Aziz) Instagram is no exception to this; rather than paying attention to the opportunities and the world around them, many people feel the need to document every moment on their phones. Adriana Mariella from Elite Daily tells a story of how a friend enticed her into attending an event by reminding her of how “how wonderful the day would look on Instagram.” This carries on the idea that many people look at events not as an experience, but as an “Instagram opportunity.” Mariella also states, “It’s not that we can’t interact with each other in the real world, but rather, that our reality is so distorted by half-realities, like Instagram, that the real world just seems boring.” Through all the filters and crops, mundane experiences become extraordinary, giving the false sense that one’s life is way more exciting online than in reality. Consequently, Instagram along with other social media sites gives people the idea that it is more important to prove to others that he or she has a life, rather than living one.

According to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Utah Valley University, and Humboldt University Berlin, a mindless scroll through Instagram can be more harmful to one’s psyche than expected. Studies regarding the negative impacts of Facebook revealed that users were likely to develop “feelings of depression, loneliness, resentment and lowered self-esteem.” (Mariella) Although these studies were conducted through Facebook, unsurprisingly, the most prominent negative aspects were those pertaining to photosharing. “When all we can see of each other’s lives is whatever fits within perfectly filtered squares, we’ll inevitably do the kind of harmful self-assessment that keeps us thinking that the grass really is greener on the other side” (Mariella) Basically, users are led to believe that everyone’s lives are better than his or her own—no matter how much one loves his or her life, someone else’s will always seem more appealing on Instagram. “A photo can very powerfully provoke immediate social comparison, and that can trigger feelings of inferiority. You don’t envy a news story,” says Hanna Krasnova of Humboldt University Berlin, co-author of the study on Facebook and envy. (Winter) As mentioned, Instagram can cause feelings of envy, which manifest through comparing oneself to others and becoming irritated over their prosperity. These feelings can develop into “contempt, malice, and the destruction of others” (Centore) leading to a deleterious attitude towards oneself and peers.

When used in the right way, Instagram could be considered as a great toll for social networking, connecting with others, and business endeavors. However, Instagram has evolved into something much less wonderful. It is as though this convenient, light-hearted, and fun application has played a major role in transforming the way in which people perceive themselves and others, causing a disconnect from reality. It has led its users to compare themselves to someone else’s false reality, leading to psychological issues such as lowered self-esteem, self-obsession, depression, and feelings of envy. Social media is indeed transforming the world—but is it really for the better? It seems like social media, or more specifically, Instagram has pushed today’s society to place more emphasis on the approval of others rather than living in the moment. People no longer appreciate personal moments and memories—they post them online so that they feel validated by the rest of the world.