A long pending one and I finally decided to bid goodbye to Instagram, a platform where I've been actively creating content for the past 10 years. Here's the post I shared with the reasons that influenced this decision:
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This decision to quit Instagram has been running on my mind for the past few years, ever since the platform turned into a reel-based model. The algorithm prioritizes content based on entertainment, gossip, fashion, lifestyle, and other topics, intending to increase materialistic desires in content consumers.
This platform is no longer relevant for someone like me who loves the written word and likes to express herself through words. Book reviews, perspectives on life, habits, routines, and other articles/links/references shared as Stories no longer reach the audience in the first place.
Every article I write is first published on my blog, which then gets converted/customized to Instagram - creating the carousel posts, trimming the content to stay within the character limit, etc. This is additional work and given my other commitments, I started to question if this effort is worth my time, if it is NOT reaching the audience of 15K followers.
For most posts, the reach is <1000.
For most Stories, the reach is <500.
As I thought about my path ahead, I plan to immerse myself in Bharatiya Shastras and traditional texts - Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Itihasas and Puranas, works of Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Swami Vivekananda, along with going deeper into Yoga sadhana, while fulfilling my responsibilities as a grhasta (householder).
A platform that deprioritizes Bharat and Hindu civilization (and prioritizes the so-called liberal views) is no longer a right fit and doesn't align with my goals.
It has been a good journey in the last 10 years, sharing food pictures, recipes, book reviews, packaged food reviews, memes, and calling out money-minting influencers and self-proclaimed gurus!
The platform provided me with an opportunity to connect with so many like-minded people. Thank you for your love, support, appreciation, and valuable time reading and commenting on my posts. I loved all our interactions and conversations.
I shall continue to publish on my blog when there is a sudden spark of inspiration or when I'd like to share certain perspectives, book reviews, and snippets from my learning.
I also plan to create a WhatsApp community and will continue to share other resources/links/podcasts etc. If my content has resonated with you on this platform, do take a peek at my blog (once a week) for new posts. I'll share the Whatsapp community link on Stories for those who would like to join.
Content-wise, nothing much changes going forward, except the medium to read the same:
Posts/articles => Blog
Links/references => WhatsApp community
Will keep the account open for the next few days to say goodbyes and to connect with you!
I also need to note down some of the old recipes that I had documented long back!!
Grateful to the platform and to the lovely readers who have been around all these years...It has been a memorable journey of content creation here. It's time to move on!
It no longer makes sense to me to be actively creating content on a platform that decides where "all our eyes should be"!
Prayers to all those pilgrims who lost their lives and to those who are injured in Reasi terror attack yesterday.
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