Recently I read this blogpost (this one is so thorough and I learned quite a bit) and this rant/blogpost about the shadiness of some people's instagram practices and I just wanted to add my 2 cents to the noise (mostly because I don't have a review prepared for you today, but also because it's been on my mind lately).  So first off, a full confession: when I first started using Instagram, I had no patience and I purchased followers (I know, I'm horrible and I'm cringing as I write this).  But let me tell you it's not worth it at all!  Because 1) it translates to low engagement (I don't have the number of likes and comments I 'should' for my follower number; and 2) it does nothing to actually improve your account (because only good content will attract followers.  Just having followers does not lead to more followers); and 3) when Instagram's mysterious algorithm kicked in, I swear it hurt me more than it helped.  But yes I bought 500 followers (for only $4.99!) because I was insecure as a blogger and needed some quantified validation.  If I could take it back I totally would.  So having learned that lesson, when I learned about bots liking/following/leaving generic comments on other accounts, I steered clear (even though I was a tiny bit tempted for a moment because I was desperate to try to get to over 1000 followers).  And in the end I'm glad I did because just like buying followers, buying bots to do the work for you is empty, all fluff.

The real point of instagram as a social platform is to make the connections and talk to people you normally would never have access to talk to.  That's what makes instagram worth it for me.   If you're trying to build something up just to make money and get sponsorship, then Instagram is just an empty marketing tool that loses all its wonderfulness (but yes, if you do 'make it' in instagram, it for sure is quite lucrative).  Once I stopped obsessing over the number of followers and likes (which up until 1000 followers I was obsessed with), Instagram became a lot more enjoyable.  Nowadays I use it as a way to let people know what my current blog post is about.  And true, my content on Instagram isn't super breath-taking or even that creative but I'm okay with that.  But I love talking to people through the comments or DM on Instagram.  So if you ever have any comments/questions/judgements, please make sure to drop a line!

Also currently I'm obsessed with Instagram stories (I pretty much watch it everyday) and my favorites accounts are @evachen212 , @annstreetstudio , @eggcanvas , and @stylescrapbook.  Anyway what are some of your thoughts on the current state of Instagram?

P.S. I do feel like the more I'm on Instagram, the more I feel consumer burn out (especially when I catch bloggers' haul videos from fast fashion stores).  And then sometimes I feel discouraged that I'm feeding into the whole frivolous consumer culture, but I guess that's a discussion for another time.