De-centering Instagram: Reclaiming My Energy in the Attention Economy
The change came about abruptly, like a switch had flipped. I made my first Insta post in 2010, but it wasn’t until 2014 when I replaced Facebook and blogging with Instagraming. The singular focus of the photo-first design made sharing enticingly quick and seamless. The double-tap heart offered a more gratifying, more sincere instant feedback experience than the thumbs-up. And despite the rise of influencers, the shift in focus to short-form video, and the ever-changing algorithm priorities, I had been a content and loyal user. Until now.
I can't name an obvious trigger, it just "hit me". When I sat at my desk contemplating what to post next, my stomach started to sink. Any effort to choose the right words, the right format, images, music, etc., evaporated into futility. And it dawned on me that I've become bored with the platform. I'm bored with how I show up, what I consume, and I'm bored with the space it occupies in my life.
The platform is optimized for instant consumption, not for savoring.
There’s still plenty of creative and engaging content, but much of it has begun to feel oddly monotonous. Misinformation aside, the parroting and haphazardly slapping words on an image without any context is confusion I don’t have bandwidth for. As a creator myself, I understand the need to post regularly just to keep the algorithm happy, to prove our loyalty in order to be rewarded with views and engagement. I have no problem with repeating what’s been said, but let’s leave automation for assembly lines. Instead, apply an ounce of effort to elevate creativity, and not just visually. Give it an interpretation, a unique perspective; add a layer, and breathe new life into it. No one wants to be seen trying too hard but without vulnerability, we can’t try hard enough.
Then, of course, there’s the obvious use of Chat and I wonder if this might be the most triggering of all. Because who knew that seeing phrases like "This is not X. This is Y," could make me gag? If only epic eye-rolls alone could help me rage-quit the app. I understand the use of AI, em-dash I use it too. I can even sing its praises. But why are we so quick to give up the plot? All technology is meant to be supportive, not to replace and certainly not to lead. Use it to correct grammatical errors, let it suggest improvements to prose and flow, but still question its polishing. And for the love of all things real, do not let it erase our voice!
I’m done watering concrete instead of soil.
While posts are losing their je ne sais quoi, so is true engagement eroding. When was the last time you sat with a post, had the time to reflect on it right then and there, and even discuss it with someone? And I don’t mean liking, saving, commenting one-sided arguments, or pebbling it to a friend. You might “engage” by the platform's standards but not a second later, it’s on to the next, another post to entice your attention. Context-shifting at warp speed, were we even built for this?
Obviously, the platform is optimized for instant consumption, not for savoring. To those who take the time to write long captions, fit text across 16 slides, or speak continuously for 10 minutes without edits, I truly applaud you for offering the depth your topic deserves. But while I admire the effort, even I admit it is far too painful to maintain such focus. Instagram is not designed for depth or long form, even with the 2x video speed on reels. I follow nearly 600 accounts and I can’t name everyone’s handle, let alone 10. I have hundreds of posts saved but rarely open the folder, and I regularly delete screenshots in bulk. This isn’t a failure of willpower, it is by design. As many users as there are, we have very little control on how information is presented (much less used) because the platform isn’t designed for our wellbeing, it’s optimized for Meta’s. Three seconds is now considered socializing, what a technological wonder.
My last qualm about the platform, or any social media for that matter: I can't see what I can't see. I'm trapped in a bubble of my own interests, self-curated with a sprinkle of accidentally leaving the app open on auto-play, adding some interesting flavor to my mix of user data. Maybe the futility I feel is derived by the confines of this bubble. It’s become an echo chamber, a contaminated well, as I see many of my peers draw “inspo” from the same source. We follow the same trend, the same advice and call it “collective wisdom.” But all this said, I have no desire to explore a new side of the online world, giving up more of my time and attention in a vain search for novelty.
By removing the friction in maintaining connection, it seems we’ve lost connection itself.
It’s interesting to reevaluate the relationship to a platform, one that’s been used daily for over a decade. It’s become my primary channel for what feels like everything. It's how I let the news reach me, despite actively avoiding it. It's how I learn new techniques, from baking bread to self-regulating in public. It's how I stay relevant with emerging updates in my field, how I learn directly from experts I admire. I have also used it to document my life and this journey into energy healing. It's how I advertise my offerings and find clients. And I hate to admit this, but it's also the last thread of connection I have with many friends I’ve made as a nomad. Superficial or not, they’re hard to let go.
We talk about inflation and the rising cost of living. But no one considers the increased price of opportunity cost. On the cusp of middle-age, I’m noticing the depletion of my life-force as I journey towards a natural death (should I be so lucky). I have less energy to waste and refuse to pour myself into leaking buckets, digitally or otherwise. I’m done watering concrete instead of soil, spending precious resources trying to fit an ever-changing mold or continuously moving goalpost. Even as a consumer, I’m tired of being fed so much information I never actually asked for. The attention economy drains from us all and I fear we’ve lost sight of the exchange rate. Strong social connections are positively correlated with longevity, but isolation is a significant risk factor in premature mortality. Social media has been around for decades now, which factor is it actually driving?
I know technology isn’t going anywhere and certainly not social media. But I’m nostalgic for the days when it wasn’t so prevalent in my life. When we had to visit specific websites to stay informed of the things we cared about. When our inboxes were full of personalized emails instead of mass distributed newsletters. Yes, it was inconvenient. But there was something about that bit of effort which made it feel wholesome. Consuming information was an intentional act, not done mindlessly. By removing the friction in maintaining connections, it seems we’ve lost connection itself. We’ve diluted the very concept and expectation around interaction and engagement that make connecting so enjoyable. This is why I’m choosing to reintroduce a bit of that friction.
I traded corporate for solopreneurship,
to prioritize my energy and authenticity over metrics.
In a world where Substack dominates, it might sound primitive to start blogging again. But I yearn for the days when my content lived firmly within my domain, away from the distractions of a marketplace and the noise of others. I won’t limit myself to blogging as I still enjoy sharing photos and creating videos. I imagine a mixed-media space reminiscent of Tumblr circa 2012, in all of its angsty vintage internet glory.
Most importantly though, despite all that I’ve shared above, I am not leaving Instagram. I do still derive some joy and value from it. Instead, it will be consciously decentered from my life. Rather than creating Instagram-first content optimized for the platform's constraints and expectations, my focus will be here, where content will take whatever shape or form naturally emerges. Only its snapshots will be pushed to The Gram. I can’t imagine a marketing director signing off on this strategy, but this is why I traded corporate for solopreneurship: to prioritize my energy and authenticity over metrics.
Have you thought about your relationship to social media, especially Instagram? Where do you stand?
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The voice, ideas, and perspective in this essay are 100% mine. However, I did use Gemini as my editor to help perfect the structure and refine the flow.