If you are a business owner, content creator, brand, public figure, etc… Then I am sure you will agree that your relationship with Instagram is a love-hate one. It’s the kind of relationship that you know at times isn’t the best for you emotionally but for some reason, you keep going back or feel you need to because it provides you something you want and think you need. Like all relationships, you start off enthusiastic, the butterfly phase where you just can’t get enough of this person and you are willing to give your all. Likes are like kisses of gratitude and assurance that you are doing a good job in this partnership and that you are loved. Who doesn’t want to feel loved in a relationship?! We all do. Your relationship with Instagram, like all relationships, starts off smooth. As far as you’re concerned this is the relationship you have always dreamed of. One where you can express yourself, share your thoughts and connect with the one you love. You go into this relationship thinking that nothing is against you and your new lover Instagram will always have you back.
As with all relationships, that honeymoon phase doesn’t last forever. For those who want to keep the honeymoon bliss going, they understand that both parties must put in the work. I am sure you have started to realize that Instagram is that one-sided relationship where one lover gives more than the other, that lover being you. It’s that unpredictable relationship where at any given moment things can change. As quickly as you say I love you your relationship can make it’s way to the grey area where you never know where you stand. Many people have talked about the highs and lows of Instagram. You see images of people with what looks like the perfect life, marriage, job, and body. You begin to analyze your life and think about whether it’s worthy of showcasing to your lover Instagram. You know that on Instagram you are always judged and unfortunately feeling not good enough is the norm for many in this relationship. Yet, for some reason, we keep going back to this love tug of war where no one really ever wins…well, except Instagram.
On the outside, everyone looks at this relationship and judges it. They either think you and Instagram are in the best relationship ever, numbers don’t lie, and they desire to know you, be around you and give you what they can so they can benefit from your blossoming and strong relationship with the one they too desire approval from, Instagram. You know, where Instagram is concerned, you will never be the only one. As quickly as you joined this union, you see others that have also captivated your beloved Instagrams heart. There are nights where it pains you deeply. You are puzzled when in just one second something that felt so good now feels like a bad dream you wish you could wake from. Some people will tell you to walk away. You toy with this idea but realize it’s not that easy. Not that easy if this is where you can grow something you believe in and know that Instagram with all its emotional madness can help you help yourself. You go through moments where you decide that this relationship is taking over your life. This relationship is simply making you question your worth and making you feel bad about yourself. So you take a break. You know you are strong enough and can figure out a way without it. The first week is great, you feel strong and realize that you don’t miss your fickle unpredictable judgmental lover at all. You feel free and unjudged for the first time in a very long time. How different life is when the only person you seek approval from is you.
When you leave a relationship one of the unfortunate aspects is that your shared ” friends” pick a side and in this case, Instagram wins because of the perks offered. If you want friends who understand loyalty then I hope you know any friend that associates your value with your relationship with Instagram will leave you. You know what I mean when I am referring to friends, I think you are smart enough to understand this. I think by now you should know the difference between a friend who believes in you, genuinely wants you to succeed whether you have zero likes, zero comments and zero in the bank. Who can see your potential and knows that you have a lot of offer. That’s one thing that a relationship with Instagram misses greatly is the ability to see potential in someone. The ability to see that talent or hard work can sometimes be overlooked by just a few numbers. That love and connection from just one person can turn into a connection that reaches millions if you just believe in someone.
Some will abandon this relationship, even those who have greatly benefited from the perks in favour of self-love and mental sanity. Since some things or people aren’t worth loving if it means you have to love yourself less and less each day. Then there are the ones who say, I will not let this relationship take the best of me, in fact, I am going to show Instagram the right way to love and that if this relationship is going to work, we have to work together. They will choose to be their authentic self even if it means, in the beginning, they don’t rank as a high lover in Instagrams book. One by one people like them, who come to Instagram as a way to connect and share their life and life lessons will join their tribe and create a relationship that not even Instagram can break. It’s true, we do in fact choose who we spend our time with, even if we never meant to fall in love with them. With this choice, we must understand we can change course and move in a direction that keeps the best parts of us whole and feeling loved.
