Across the globe there are over 800 million individuals plugged into instagram. These users post an average of 40 million photos daily and double tap over 8,500 of them every second. It is used to advertise our lives and connects us with the world. Instagram is a brilliant invention that allows society to stay connected despite the rage of life. This app is tremendous, but despite its impact, I have yet to make an account. I’ve endured years of peers trying to convince me to create a profile, but I have two reasons for standing my ground.

First, like most people, I suffer from a condition where I am easily distracted. Side effects include engaging in meaningless activities for an extended period of time and forgetting present responsibilities. Therefore, if I were to join the world of instagram it would claim an incredible amount of my time. This in itself is enough reason for me to avoid such a trap, but I have a second justification.  

Instagram is a place where we post the best version of ourselves. We choose the happiest moments, the craziest adventures, and the most heart warming experiences. I know this isn’t always the case, but in general, this app is only for sunshine. However, as we’re all human, this doesn’t encompass the entire person; people don’t always smile. We’re like icebergs. These solid slabs of floating ice are beautiful. They are crisp and bright, and cast an enchanting glow into the surrounding water. But what most people don’t know is that only 10% of the ice is above water. The other 90% reaches down into the darkness where no one can see it. In the same way, instagram allows us to display our best 10%. The beautiful, the happy, the flawless. But as it turns out, our lives aren’t always pretty and we don’t always feel magnificent. I am a people person, I always have been. But I’m not interested in seeing 10% of a person when there’s 90% more to their heart.

Life has never been easy, but social media allows us to mask the pain that entangles us. We all have hard days, some more than others. So it saddens me to think that individuals are denying themselves help because they want to hide their pain. Katerina Rinaldi is a girl who demonstrated exactly what I’m describing. I have included a link at the bottom that I urge you to explore. But first, let me enlighten you. Ms. Rinaldi is a girl who possessed so much hurt that she made an attempt on her life. According to her instagram, however, she was more than perfect. She posted the best 10% of herself and left the rest to hide beneath the surface. Instagram isn’t the only way to reach people, I understand that. But in this age of social media we have gotten in the habit of hiding behind our profiles.

We all make up 100% of a person so instead of seeing 10% on instagram, I want to  discover the person beyond of selfies and filters, don’t you? There’s no denying that instagram is a groundbreaking invention but despite its global impact, I will continue to remain out of this digital world. I’m afraid that I would forget that individuals are more than what they post, and that the rest of their 90% would remain hidden under the water.

https://themighty.com/2017/12/social-media-facebook-instagram-twitter-suicide-attempt-depression