Love this Jools and really relate! I recently unfollowed all people on instagram, so only follow brands now mainly so I know when good deals are to be had. It’s been amazing, way less time scrolling and all those things that used to eat away at me are just gone out of my life.
Have to caveat and say this strategy wasn’t my idea. An old friend told me she had done it about 18 months ago... that’s how long it took me to mull over it and finally do it.
Andrea - It's so lovely to see you here! 😊 Thank you so much for reading this - the InstaFatigue is quite something, right?! That's actually an AMAZING idea - and a brilliant move you took on how to navigate Instagram for it to remain useful! There is so much drama attached to unfollowing people (yet another thing that makes being on IG a nightmare) so I really take my hat off to you for that... serious food for thought x
"Reels in the hope of more eyes on my grid. When I tried making those, I just came off feeling and looking like an awkward, unconvincing tit."
Oh Jools I chuckled at this because I know that feeling well. When it became a game to compete against a generation who have never known anything but a life online, it all lost its lustre for me. I related so much to this.
It's infuriating that we depend on something so much (for social connection, job opportunities and ego boosts) that is actually incredibly harmful for us in so many ways.
I've recently uninstalled Instagram from my phone and have vowed to only share my Substacks to my writing account via my laptop going forward, and it's so liberating but i also feel completely disconnected from everything. It seems so unfair that this is where we are now.
Thank you for putting these thoughts into words, I nodded so many times as I was reading. It's time to find real, lasting connection offline, I think (she says, sending you this from 200 miles away).
I'm glad that it made you chuckle - honestly Mildred, I'm laughing at myself about how bizarre it always made me feel doing those Reels! 😅
"When it became a game to compete against a generation who have never known anything but a life online, it all lost its lustre for me" - I just felt that in my WHOLE chest! I didn't think I'd feel so sad for a social media platform, but the joy that used to be found in Instagram got sucked out via algorithms and stats. It's such a shame that all the connections it was useful for feel nonexistent now.
👏🏾 on uninstalling IG from your phone and using the laptop version for your sharing your writing! I'm almost there; after wiping my page, I'm using Stories only to share VeloMail bits (still using my phone for that, but I need to bin that off) - but I get you on it feeling both liberating and isolating - I feel cut off from the IG world I loved, but it's a world long gone.
Thank you so much for reading this piece, Mildred and I'm glad it resonated with you... and I'm also really glad that we are still connected in a different virtual way ❤️ x
I hear you, I feel sad too. We definitely seem to be entering a new era, and even this morning on Blindboy's podcast he mentioned that he thinks we're starting to see the end of social media. God knows what's going to come next!
I think it's entirely possible that smaller, independent alternatives will start popping up, and maybe all the millennial and gen Xers will head that way to regain a semblance of what it used to be, but I don't think it'll ever be the same because one app would have to get big enough for everyone to be on it, and to compete with Meta, while remaining independent and resistant to the pull of algorithms and data mining!
So let's see what happens. Either way I too am glad to have reconnected with you here ❤️
Oh my goodness, I just deleted your lovely comment underneath my post when trying to edit my reply to your comment, I am so sorry 🙈
What I actually meant to say was:
Thank you so much for your lovely comment 💕 And oh! I can't believe you wrote to me - I have your book "Back in the frame!". Bought it during lockdown in 2020 when I'd just bought a new bicycle and needed some encouragement to venture out on the streets 😅 So thank you for that, too, I absolutely loved it 💐😊
Hey Stefanie - no need to apologise at all about the accidental deleting! I've almost done that a couple of times on here - it can be so fiddly! 😅
I really enjoyed your 'Stack and can completely appreciate how wild it can feel to call yourself a writer/author... I still have my moments where I question myself and my line of work! 🤭
I'm thrilled to know that you have my book and you'd bought it as you were getting back into cycling! I hope that it was a little nudge of encouragement for you and that you're enjoying being on your bike. Thank you for letting me know - it forever brings a smile to my fave to know Back in the Frame has been read and enjoyed! ❤️ x
Love this Jools and really relate! I recently unfollowed all people on instagram, so only follow brands now mainly so I know when good deals are to be had. It’s been amazing, way less time scrolling and all those things that used to eat away at me are just gone out of my life.
Have to caveat and say this strategy wasn’t my idea. An old friend told me she had done it about 18 months ago... that’s how long it took me to mull over it and finally do it.
Andrea - It's so lovely to see you here! 😊 Thank you so much for reading this - the InstaFatigue is quite something, right?! That's actually an AMAZING idea - and a brilliant move you took on how to navigate Instagram for it to remain useful! There is so much drama attached to unfollowing people (yet another thing that makes being on IG a nightmare) so I really take my hat off to you for that... serious food for thought x
"Reels in the hope of more eyes on my grid. When I tried making those, I just came off feeling and looking like an awkward, unconvincing tit."
Oh Jools I chuckled at this because I know that feeling well. When it became a game to compete against a generation who have never known anything but a life online, it all lost its lustre for me. I related so much to this.
It's infuriating that we depend on something so much (for social connection, job opportunities and ego boosts) that is actually incredibly harmful for us in so many ways.
I've recently uninstalled Instagram from my phone and have vowed to only share my Substacks to my writing account via my laptop going forward, and it's so liberating but i also feel completely disconnected from everything. It seems so unfair that this is where we are now.
Thank you for putting these thoughts into words, I nodded so many times as I was reading. It's time to find real, lasting connection offline, I think (she says, sending you this from 200 miles away).
What a time to be alive... x
I'm glad that it made you chuckle - honestly Mildred, I'm laughing at myself about how bizarre it always made me feel doing those Reels! 😅
"When it became a game to compete against a generation who have never known anything but a life online, it all lost its lustre for me" - I just felt that in my WHOLE chest! I didn't think I'd feel so sad for a social media platform, but the joy that used to be found in Instagram got sucked out via algorithms and stats. It's such a shame that all the connections it was useful for feel nonexistent now.
👏🏾 on uninstalling IG from your phone and using the laptop version for your sharing your writing! I'm almost there; after wiping my page, I'm using Stories only to share VeloMail bits (still using my phone for that, but I need to bin that off) - but I get you on it feeling both liberating and isolating - I feel cut off from the IG world I loved, but it's a world long gone.
Thank you so much for reading this piece, Mildred and I'm glad it resonated with you... and I'm also really glad that we are still connected in a different virtual way ❤️ x
I hear you, I feel sad too. We definitely seem to be entering a new era, and even this morning on Blindboy's podcast he mentioned that he thinks we're starting to see the end of social media. God knows what's going to come next!
I think it's entirely possible that smaller, independent alternatives will start popping up, and maybe all the millennial and gen Xers will head that way to regain a semblance of what it used to be, but I don't think it'll ever be the same because one app would have to get big enough for everyone to be on it, and to compete with Meta, while remaining independent and resistant to the pull of algorithms and data mining!
So let's see what happens. Either way I too am glad to have reconnected with you here ❤️
Oh my goodness, I just deleted your lovely comment underneath my post when trying to edit my reply to your comment, I am so sorry 🙈
What I actually meant to say was:
Thank you so much for your lovely comment 💕 And oh! I can't believe you wrote to me - I have your book "Back in the frame!". Bought it during lockdown in 2020 when I'd just bought a new bicycle and needed some encouragement to venture out on the streets 😅 So thank you for that, too, I absolutely loved it 💐😊
Hey Stefanie - no need to apologise at all about the accidental deleting! I've almost done that a couple of times on here - it can be so fiddly! 😅
I really enjoyed your 'Stack and can completely appreciate how wild it can feel to call yourself a writer/author... I still have my moments where I question myself and my line of work! 🤭
I'm thrilled to know that you have my book and you'd bought it as you were getting back into cycling! I hope that it was a little nudge of encouragement for you and that you're enjoying being on your bike. Thank you for letting me know - it forever brings a smile to my fave to know Back in the Frame has been read and enjoyed! ❤️ x