It's exactly 3 months since I quit Instagram, a platform where I had been an active content creator for nearly 10 years. I also briefly returned to Twitter as a passive content consumer when the election fever in India was at its peak. After the election results, I deactivated the account. So technically, I've been off social media over the last 3 months (not counting WhatsApp and YouTube as social media platforms!).
I have already listed down my reasons for quitting Instagram, so I don't intend to repeat them in this post.
As I ponder over the last 3 months regarding what has changed, what I missed, and what I'm grateful for, a few thoughts surfaced.
What I miss:
Interesting and stimulating conversations, chit-chats, and comments from friends I made on Instagram. Though some of them are in touch through WhatsApp, it doesn't quite feel the same.
What has changed:
I continue to write on my blog whenever inspiration strikes but without the need to customize/edit it for the sake of Instagram.
Also, there used to be a silent reminder running in my mind whenever I didn't post frequently on Instagram. I don't get that nagging feeling anymore.
When posting on Instagram, subconsciously I would end up checking for comments/DMs often. I often wondered if it was for the sake of validation or approval.
I used to get affected by influencers who lead extreme lifestyles and build businesses by capitalizing on people's FOMO and promising tall claims. I now protect my mental peace by staying away from their content.
The biggest change - a lot more time has opened up which I'm putting to productive use in learning Yoga philosophy, Bhagavad Gita, and Ayurveda, and towards my self-care practices.
What I'm grateful for:
On the day of Krishna Jayanti and Ganesh Chaturti celebrations, I reminisced the festive days on Instagram where we - food content creators - would share our pics of the special menu and recipes. It used to be so inspiring to see the efforts and I used to look forward to sharing pics of my festival special preparations. Though I came out of Instagram, the motivation is now intact and I celebrated the festive occasions this year without posting any pics on social media.
Instagram had been a huge motivating factor in my cooking experiments - trials and successes, trying new recipes and venturing into traditional dishes that take time and effort. It used to be a happy place back in 2017-19 when it was all about images and content. The "reels" trend changed the total ethos of the platform.
Only when we close the doors that no longer work for us, new doors will open up.
Posts
