Instagram kind of sucks.

nerwin

Been spending a lot of time on here!
Joined
Jan 31, 2015
Messages
3,787
Reaction score
2,065
Location
Vermont
Website
nickerwin.com
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
I spend so much time on Instagram because I'm trying to get more followers and likes. I have to post certain photos, certain editing style, certain times of the day, certain hashtags and follow trends. It's an incredible amount of work to just get 15+ followers and then to only have them all unfollow you within minutes if you don't follow them back and it makes you depressed because you've spent hours doing it all that work.

I loose probably and hour or two a night of sleep because I have to stay up and do my "Instagram work" around 11pm - midnight because that is when my account apparently gets the most interaction.

Recently I had a follower comment on a photo of mine and they said they will unfollow me if I don't share my camera settings. I'm like what the heck? Seriously? Now you get threats of unfollow if you don't conform to them?

I hate it. This is not the way it should be. But that's the way it is on Instagram if you want to get any kind of exposure on that social media platform.

The thing is, you can't compete with a billion other users who have thousands upon thousands of followers which are probably not even real people to begin with anyways because more than half of them are probably bots & paid followers.

If you really think about it, Instagram isn't a photography app anymore. It's a lifestyle app. People's Instagram accounts are highlight reels in which portrays them as having an amazing life but they probably are having the same problems with life we all experience. It's just a persona.

So I thought about just deleting my account and moving on with my life but I was reluctant, why? Even though I don't have many followers or get many likes on my photos, I have connected with a handful of awesome other photographers and people who I have similar interests with whom I'd never would've met if it wasn't for Instagram.

Which leads me to another point. It should never be about quantity, but quality. I'm not saying necessarily quality work, because we all can't produce National Geographic quality work every day but what I'm saying is finding people to connect with who inspire each other and communicate frequently with is so much more important than getting that extra like or follower who will probably just unfollow you anyways.

What are your thoughts on Instagram? I don't what to do whether or not I should abandoned it or continue to use the platform but not participate in so called Instagram mafia?

Yes, it was kind of a rant, but I felt like getting it off my chest since it's been on my mind for a while. It's just weird because I don't have this same feeling with Flickr or Facebook. Instagram is a whole different world of people.
 
Last edited:
I use Instagram but I don’t really care how many followers I have. I don’t put that much thought into it.. just another fun way to share my images.

In reality I use Instagram more to get inspiration and to find new photo locations than anything.
 
you just figured it out?
 
...What are your thoughts on Instagram? ...
I don't have any. I don't even have an account on Instagram. I maintain a minimal social media presence via facebook and that is it. The whole concept bores me to tears, and even though I put comparatively little time into it (<5 min/day) I see zero return on investment. WHY do you really care who's following you? Are they likely to be a client?
 
you just figured it out?

I knew. Just didn't wanna believe it.

...What are your thoughts on Instagram? ...
I don't have any. I don't even have an account on Instagram. I maintain a minimal social media presence via facebook and that is it. The whole concept bores me to tears, and even though I put comparatively little time into it (<5 min/day) I see zero return on investment. WHY do you really care who's following you? Are they likely to be a client?

I blame it on dopamine. I guess the reason why I care so much is the fact that I put so much time into it and just don't get anything in return. Also it makes me feel like my work just isn't good enough which is fine because it pushes me to be better but I just don't think ACTUAL photography is a thing anymore on Instagram, it's just all marketing and I feel like I'm left out because I'm not cool as the other people. I'm not allowed at the cool kids table. It's pretty much high school all over again, lol.
 
Last edited:
ACTUAL photography is a thing anymore on Instagram, it's just all marketing
Wait, when this wasn't the case? It's almost like to believe Facebook was created to bring people closer to each other...
 
ACTUAL photography is a thing anymore on Instagram, it's just all marketing
Wait, when this wasn't the case? It's almost like to believe Facebook was created to bring people closer to each other...

Well what it was created for and what people use it for are two different things.
 
I suppose I made a mistake posting this. Just having a bad day and Instagram BS pushed me over.
 
What is your end goal with Insta?
 
What is your end goal with Insta?

Don't know. Billion followers, people buying me houses and cars.

I can wish right?

Just taking it day by day, but it's getting too much for me. I really wanna focus on my photography instead but it's hard to avoid social media sometimes, it's always in our face.
 
Last edited:
nerwin said:
I guess the reason why I care so much is the fact that I put so much time into it and just don't get anything in return. Also it makes me feel like my work just isn't good enough which is fine because it pushes me to be better but I just don't think ACTUAL photography is a thing anymore on Instagram, it's just all marketing and I feel like I'm left out because I'm not cool as the other people. I'm not allowed at the cool kids table. It's pretty much high school all over again, lol.


Wellll, then, FFS, just STOP! posting to IG. Or spend your time and effort on a new hobby, like onanism.
 
Just delete this stupid thread. I give up.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top