Why I Decided to Log Out of Instagram

Beda Arta
PersonalInstagram

This isn't the first time I've done something like this. A few years ago, I uninstalled Facebook and eventually stopped using it altogether. I haven't used it for years now.

Instagram feels different today than it did 13 years ago. Back then, Instagram was mostly about sharing good pictures. You took a photo, posted it, and moved on. Now we have Stories, Reels, endless recommendations, notifications, and an algorithm constantly deciding what we should look at next.

And as I've gotten older

As I've gotten older, I've realized something:

I don't want to know what everyone else is doing.

I don't need to know where my friends are having dinner tonight, what they bought, where they're travelling, or what they're doing on a random Tuesday afternoon on their Instagram story.

I don't want everyone to know what I'm doing everyday either.

I don't want my friends on Intagram to know what I'm doing everyday either. Maybe I'll share something once in a while on Instagram when it's really important or meaningful to me.

Learn to be more empathetic toward others, especially those who are still finding their way in life.

I’m lucky to have a job, bought more than one piece of land in different locations, have a car, a wife, and kids. But today, it’s much harder for many people to find a good job, afford land or house, buy a car, get married, and raise a family. Inflation is high, and the cost of living keeps getting more expensive.

I’m grateful for what I have, but I know that many people are still struggling to achieve some of those things and maybe they cry in the darkness. So, I think learn to be more empathetic is important

Preparation

Before logging out, I reached out to some of my closest friends and asked for their latest WhatsApp numbers. I wanted to make sure we could still stay in touch.

So I saved their numbers. Not because I plan to talk to them every day, but because I want us to still be able to reach each other when we need to.

Next Plan

I want to focus more on meaningful activities:

  • My kids.
  • My work.
  • Learning something new.
  • Going for a bike ride.
  • Reading.
  • Building something.