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Kayla Nickerson

Professor Blouch

ENG 1101

14 October 2020

After several years of using Instagram, I finally deleted the app. Why? Despite

Instagram allowing users to create their own profiles, I still find myself comparing mine

to others’. The social media app is extremely popular and has grown to over 1 billion

monthly active users since its establishment in 2010. 58% of those users are female,

while the other 42% of users are male. Although many users enjoy Instagram and the

fun involved in the use of the app, there are many who admit they struggle with mental

health and a lack of self confidence due to its use.

I have been using the app since I was 10 years old. My friend, Rachel, and I sat

on her bedroom floor and laughed as we created our pages together. It started out as all

fun, we used the app to connect with our peers and keep constant updates on the

things we were doing. We were just kids then. My profile picture was a selfie Rachel

and I took together holding up the classic “peace sign.” I was excited to use Instagram

to find all of my friends and see the silly photos and videos they posted. Instagram then

created digital filters, along with editing tools allowing users to perfect their photos.

Hashtags have since arrised allowing users to involve themselves in trending topics.

The app slowly became less fun. I found myself spending hours on the app

editing my pictures in order to post the “perfect selfie.” I would use Instagram’s explore

page to compare myself to other girls my age. This quickly took a toll on my self image.

I began to limit my calorie intake and follow the “7 Days to Perfect Abs” I saw on my
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feed. The captions “#calories, #perfect, #beautiful” became something I knew all too

well. My selfies were no longer good enough. I spent hours criticizing myself while I

stared at society’s image of perfection. “Count your calories,” “you would never look

good in those jeans,”; these are the thoughts that ran through my head constantly. I

became obsessed with the idea that my body had to be perfect. I had to have a small

waist, but it wasn’t good enough unless I had wide hips, too. I lost 15 pounds in one

months as I compared my body to those of other girls.

The sad reality of Instagram is the fact that it shows only the best moments of

someone’s life. I would spend hours editing photos that were taken within seconds. My

teenage years were the hardest part of my life. I was insecure, vulnerable, and

struggled then more than ever. What I didn’t know then was that the celebrities, too,

spent hours editing their photos; along with an entire team of makeup artists and hair

stylists. Hidden behind their smiles are struggles, too. Today, some celebrities and

social media stars do their best at making this known to their followers. Justin Bieber

has used Instagram to inform his followers of the struggles he has gone through. From

drug abuse, to mental illness, he does his best to show the reality of his life of fame.

Emma Chamberlain has also been very open about her personal struggles. Despite her

rise in followers, she continues being herself and doesn’t hide who she truly is. Emma is

not only open about her mental health, but she also shares her journey on YouTube and

talks about topics like acne and shows who she is naturally. This shows young teens

that not only is acne ok, celebrities face it, too!

Instagram has made an impact on its users' lives in one way or another. Many

users check the app daily, uploading content and exploring the posts of others. I do
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believe the app does a great job of keeping its users updated on the posts of their peers

as well as the latest trends. The direct messaging feature also allows users to stay in

contact with their followers through the app. Instagram was at one time a great way for

me to keep in contact with friends and family that I didn’t have on other social media

platforms.

Imagine this - you’re poor, very poor, constantly checking your bank account to

ensure you have enough money to make it through the week. However, every time you

log into your account, you are forced to see the amount of money celebrities and others

around you have in theirs. In those moments, you will always wish you were them. For

some, Instagram is a safe place that allows them to keep in touch with their friends and

family. But for me, it was a constant reminder that I wasn't #perfect.