There has been a subtle shift towards discontent in Instagram users in recent months. Increasingly, people are becoming aware of the toll the app is taking on their attention span, feelings of connectedness, and general mental wellbeing. But when did Instagram become something so toxic? It didn’t happen overnight. Remember the days when the app was just a place you could dump a silly photo with a friend and then forget it exists? The Instagram of today is almost unrecognizable to where it started out.Â
In 2013, three years after the app’s conception, Instagram added video and direct message (DM) features to the platform. In 2016, Instagram lives were added, and in 2020, reels appeared for the first time. And that brings us to today. Instagram is no longer a photo archive of select few moments of your life, but instant access to the in-the-moment happenings of everyone you’ve ever known. The easy access to intimate moments of the lives of people we don’t know is unnatural. Both the volume and the type of content that we have access to via Instagram is not how we were intended to connect with others. It fosters quick, transactional interactions that posture as something that can meet our relational needs, but in reality leave us feeling unsatisfied and isolated.Â

And then there is the addictive nature of Instagram today. We all know that the app is messing with our dopamine stores and, as a result, shrinking our attention spans to the size of a crumb. But how does it keep us hooked? The answer: the cue, routine, reward cycle. Instagram sends us cues in the form of notifications, which then engages us in the routine of logging into the app and scrolling, which then rewards us with the occasional hit of dopamine. The variable nature of the dopamine hits is also part of what keeps us hooked. Each time we log into the app, we’re not met with the same level of dopamine every time - but we get it just enough that it keeps us hooked, thinking this is the time that we’re going find a meme that makes us laugh so hard we cry, or see a post from a close friend that brings us joy. This is called a variable reward, and it’s a big part of what makes Instagram so addictive.
So how do you take care of yourself and continue to have a relationship with Instagram? One of the most effective ways to bring more intention to your social media engagement is by turning off notifications, thereby eliminating the ‘cue’ part of the cue, routine, reward cycle. It allows you to make a conscious choice about when you do/don’t want to engage with the app, rather than falling prey to the onslaught of notifications.
Another option is to get curious about the true utility of the platform in your life, and determine the parts of Instagram you want to keep vs. the parts that aren’t serving you. For example, DM-ing long-distance friends and finding community events in your city are things that provide true social connection and fill your cup. Scrolling through reels without realizing that three hours have passed and feeling crummy afterwards (just me?) - not so much. Play around with it and find what works for you. Like most things, it’s not black and white.
Curious about talking through the function of social media in your life or cultivating more meaningful community? We’d love to walk alongside you. Reach out to one of our therapists today.
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