Scroll with purpose: 5 ways to make Instagram work for you
Existential social media dread struck me this summer. I was scrolling through vacation photos, deciding which to post. It came over me like one of the waves in my photos: why the hell was I even sharing my holiday on the internet? Why did I have an Instagram account in the first place?! Does the internet need another photo of a woman on a boat?!?!
I was seconds away from deleting it all. I took a breath and realized I hadn’t given much, if any, thought to my Instagram usage in the past year. And considering how much time I donate to the app, it was high time to make it work for me.
So I rummaged through the accounts I follow and cleared out the ones that don’t add anything to my life. I then decided to try on a different attitude: Instagram isn’t a self esteem black hole. It’s a free source of relevant information. And, I am pleased to report that new attitude worked. Instagram now has new (any!) meaning. #NotAnAd
Here’s what I discovered:
New music!
Seeking new tunes outside your Discover Weekly algorithm? Go to some of your favorite artists’ personal profiles (not the band profile). Look to see who they’re following. Find new jams! Some of my fun recent finds have been El Búho, Tora and Y La Bamba.
New podcasts!
I follow some of my favorite podcast hosts (e.g. Aminatou, Ann Friedman, @karaloewentheil), who often post about other ‘casts they like. This has revealed several new-to-me shows like Friend of a Friend, Masters of Scale and Out of Office. Check out who your favorite podcast hosts are following, and what they’re posting about.
Exposure for cool people!
Use your platform (follower number irrelevant) to spotlight people who are doing things you believe in: artists, local entrepreneurs, small business owners or your friends who are making cool stuff. You give the maker exposure to your community and show your followers someone/something new. I recently posted about a local ceramicist who makes beautiful dishes. A few days later, a friend told me she’s inquiring to buy some because she saw my post! Now that’s what social media is for.
Positivity!
I did a giant digital reckoning and unfollowed hundreds of accounts. I chose to follow a smaller number of accounts so I’d actually see their posts. No more FOMO-inducing content in my face everyday. My feed now features stuff that feeds my soul: Inspirational quotes, entrepreneurs I admire, illustrators, musicians and comedy. I’ve turned Instagram into a positive place. And you can too! Marie Kondo your feed. Bask in the results.
Learn about events in your city!
Turns out, many interesting gatherings are now announced and marketed primarily on Instagram (do I sound old?). The app is a mecca for finding out about talks, workshops, programs, pop-ups, gigs, etc. I went to an art/performance dinner I discovered through an influencer I follow. And when I explored the account for the event, I found out about loads more goings-on in my city. Worth exploring!
So if you’re in that place that so many of us have been, staring into the void of a colorful grid, questioning your digital existence, then stop! Deleting the app(s) may be the answer. Or, you may find that a few simple tweaks to your Instagram usage can seriously boost what you take from it. Now excuse me as I go jam to some new tunes I found…
