Would You Rather Be Heard Or Seen? The Problem With Instagram
Would You Rather Be Heard Or Seen?
The Problem With Instagram
That was the question I posed to some of my bloggy friends. I’m troubled over the proliferation of social media and its emphasis on pleasant images rather than authentic commentary. Blogging is on the downturn and Instagram is booming.
More people simply want to look at you than hear you.
As a blogger this is discouraging. The platform is meant for expressing your thoughts and connecting with people. Sure, we can have pretty photos but if the blogger has no valuable information or commentary to offer me other than where they bought their latest pair of shoes, honestly I won’t bother visiting them again. There needs to be some kind of connection whether it be humour, activism, life stories, creative ideas or simple opinions. I need more substance than just pretty pictures.
Yes, of course there are exceptions to the rule, bloggers that are creative geniuses or those that take spectacular photos in exotic places are a source of visual inspiration however I can count those on one hand.
I’ll be honest, I’m not successful on Instagram, possibly because I feel it is mostly devoid of meaningful content. Instagram is filled to the brim with pretty images and quotes. I suppose the quotes are there to make us somehow feel that the time we’ve wasted scrolling through two hundred and fifty images in ten minutes is time well spent.
Am I “connecting” with anyone like that?
To me, Instagram is based on photos without meaning and moments without truth.
I’ve never felt any kind of bond with anyone that I “met” and followed on Instagram. In comparison, I feel a certain kinship with the readers of my blog, especially if they comment. We know a bit about each other, we’ve invested some time getting to know how the other person thinks and what is important to them. Also, I’ve met some great real life friends via my blog. On Instagram I’m just scrolling as fast as my thumb will take me.
How does social media enhance my life?
The take away I get from social media is that it is simply a marketing strategy encouraging shameless self promotion and mindless consumption.
Am I missing something important and worthwhile Instagram offers that I haven’t figured out yet?
As far as Facebook and Twitter goes I stopped visiting those ages ago. As an Etsy seller and blogger I continue to have operating pages only because it is expected of me. I post automatically to them via Etsy or Instagram but I don’t frequent those sites more than once every few months. The value of them eludes me.
On Instagram you can leave a heart or hand clapping emojis in a fraction of a second.
It’s faster than reading a blog. People feel they’ve interacted on a much larger scale without investing the time. Is that truly a way of connecting? Are the hearts we receive meant to fill our heart with joy and acceptance? Does it make you feel that way?
I know I cannot force people to connect with me on the platform I prefer.
It’s such a shame because I’d drop all of my social media accounts in a heartbeat.
Blogging is where I can most fully express myself.
Many other bloggers I know feel the same way as myself while others dropped blogging altogether and are now only using Instagram. Certainly the amount of time and effort that goes into a blog is greater than that of an Instagram account.
All of the bloggers I asked said they would prefer to be heard rather than seen.
What about you? Would you rather been seen than heard? Does social media enhance your life and if so, how?
Linking up with Jess over at Turning Heads Tuesdays.
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Sweater Dress & Thigh High Boots When Clothing Designs Don’t Make Sense
When Clothing Designs Don’t Make Sense
When I thrifted this sweater dress I had no idea that it would be like wearing ten very well fed long haired cats wrapped around my body.
It keeps my core hot and my arms cold. I tried wearing a long sleeve tee underneath but it looked odd.
I love the colours, the shape, the collar-I-can-hide-my-face-in on this sweater dress but I have a feeling this may not stay in my closet for long.
My body temperature is already all over the place, I don’t need ill designed clothing turning me into a source of geothermal energy.
I could supply my neighbourhood with heating for a year wearing this dress while my arms turn into icicle appendages.
While I adore the look of thigh high boots I’m not keen on the elephant leg look.
I feel like I constantly need to be pulling these boots up to flatten out the wrinkles. I thought they were going to cover up my wrinkly knees! Now I have wrinkly knees and ankles.
I figured out a way how to avoid this look here. The only issue is people might inadvertently catch a glimpse of your garter belt. This could either be considered very sexy or very weird depending on your level of confidence. The older we get the more likely it will be construed as weird.
Sometimes the clips don’t always stay fastened as they aren’t super strong. I need to find a garter belt with alligator clips. Or maybe Mel can make me some extra long clips I can just attach to my bra straps! Ha ha! Mind you, I don’t need anything extra pulling down my chesticles, gravity has already worked its magic in that department. Thanks for nothing gravity!
Update!
I’ve found a new solution here…I think it would work better than mine although it does require some DIY skills and a bit of time. Also, you will need to add a velcro strip into each of your boots. I’m going to try this solution and will let you know how it goes. The added bonus with this method is you can wear the boots with jeans.
I’ve since sold this jean trench coat. I own another one that is longer. They are one of my favourite pieces to wear as they work with everything.
No chesticle clips required!
How much do I love a piece of clothing that doesn’t require a portable fan, a case of clips or a small instruction booklet on how to deal with people you’ve offended?
Do you ever wonder about ill conceived clothing and how you’re supposed to wear it?
Have you tried any successful methods to keep up your thigh high boots?
Also…I will be exhibiting at the Toronto Vintage Clothing Show Mar 3-4 at the Queen Elizabeth Building, Exhibition Place in Toronto. If you are in the area stop by and say hi. It’s guaranteed to be another great show.
Linking up with the lovely Patti over at Visible Monday.
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