The Performative Nature of Instagram

There are some things I’ve noticed that I’m interpreting as signal I’m getting older. Around 5 years ago, I completely lost sight of Top 40 music. Some of my favorite athletes are retiring or have been retired for some time. One that feels more personal, is the fact I’m really starting to feel the wheels shake on social media. While I have posted less over the years, I’m really noticing that even consumption is starting to feel differently than it once did. I suspect the reason is the shift to video. 

My favorite social media platform is Twitter. I was on it from the early days and loved you could read and interact with just about anyone. Twitter users have known for years that if you’re not careful, it’s easy to end up in a negative loop so it takes time and effort to manage that. I like Twitter enough to do so. I mute often, I unfollow, I block if needed. It can still be a mess but I still see the utility. I’m am…perhaps was, a fan of Instagram. Early Instagram where you could see photos that people would take, was awesome. Even users who didn’t feel like they had the art gene could at least give it their best shot and see a nice result. 

I can’t say I know for sure when the shift happened. I think around 2015, but a very clear shift happened in Instagram content where content was no longer “photos I took” but “photos of me”. On one hand, I see the utility. I follow a lot of dogs because I want to see photos of the dogs. However, it felt vain to me personally. Why would I show the world photos of myself? Maybe it’s because I have a twin brother so the world already sees enough of me but I just didn’t really see the reason why. Not to say it doesn’t happen. I post videos of myself playing the guitar from time to time…but that’s because I want you to see the playing. I’d post it from a goPro on my head if I could do that…note to self…buy a goPro. However, outside of those musical videos, it’s rare you see me on my own IG post. 

Now that TikTok has grown and taken over some of the attention share of Internet users, Instagram wants to focus more on video. From a business perspective it makes perfect sense. If that’s what users want, then I understand why Instagram would go that route. Where they lose me, is that isn’t the content I care to post. No one will care if I stop posting on Instagram. Probably because what I post, hasn’t been instagram-friendly in well over 5 years. What concerns me is the performative nature of it all. The idea that we as normal everyday people feel like we have to perform for the camera. I suppose it already existed in photos of ourselves but with video…it feels more personal. The way you speak, your facial expressions, it comes through in video. It’s one more thing users will feel the need to calibrate. The irony is, you don’t need to look that far to see a post of someone saying “posed vs. how I actually look” as if that’s not performative as well. Is how you actually look or is how you want us to think you actually look? 

    To be very clear, I’m not anti-social media, or anti-instagram, or anything like that. What I am against, is the mental health affects that come with the needing to perform at all times with tools that will give you immediate feedback. 

    Listen, I hear you. “Andrew, I enjoy doing this. Who are you to tell me what to do with my time and my feeds?” and I completely understand. You’re right. That’s a fair point. To be fair, I’m not telling you to stop. All I am saying is, if social media needs me to dance on video or write sketches to have content, then I’ll watch quitely from the sidelines. I likely won’t watch very long as I’ve yet to find this format engaging.