After months of thinking about it, I finally pulled the plug on my own lifeline.
I have been almost primarily messaging my friends on Instagram since I downloaded the app in seventh grade. Recently though, it has done nothing more than make me upset.
Under every single video I see, the comments are completely consumed by negativity. Instagram in the last year has been notorious for its hateful environment to the point where people on other platforms have made comments about posting content on Instagram Reels so that it is socially acceptable to make fun of.
A popular comment I see while scrolling mindlessly through the app is “bring back bullying.” This implies that it is necessary to torment people about the things they love until they stop doing it.
I’ve seen these comments on a video posted by someone under the age of 9 years old. It’s truly disheartening, knowing people possess such little compassion in their hearts they intentionally comment something that is hurtful.
It seems obvious with this information that I should have just not downloaded the app in the first place. But there is still a completely opposite perspective.
How will I stay in touch with my friends outside of school if I am not replying to funny memes they send me? How will I know what everyone in my life is up to?
The overwhelming fear of missing out, or FOMO, has been affecting me for as long as I can remember. My feelings are hurt when people I barely know happen to randomly see each other.
I automatically assume that they thought long and hard about their guest list and adamantly crossed out my name in red ink while planning their get together. While logically I can reason with myself and know it isn’t true, it is somewhat disheartening when I find out the people I typically surround myself with would like to have anyone but me over to their house.
There have been countless times this has happened, and I came to the realization recently that seeing the people I hang out with aren’t inviting me to stuff is achieving nothing. It is not worth my time to spend my Friday night going through Instagram stories of people with their friends and then feel bad about myself that I’m not.
After coming to that conclusion, I immediately deleted the app and an enormous weight was lifted off of my chest.
