My name is Margaret and I’ve had a “it’s complicated” relationship with Instagram for over five years.

You see I’ve used the app for a personal page which I deleted, a fashion blog which grew over 2000 followers (to me that’s a lot) a quick stint in selling bracelets which many of you graciously supported (thank you) and a Homemaking page. All of these pages grew out of a desire to connect, share and create. I gained new friends and was able to find community in my life when I had so little in my real life. But I had fits and spurts of leaving and rejoining the app over this time period and was conflicted about it’s positive and negative effects on my well being, relationships and brain.

Like many others during the pandemic my use of the app increased, my time spent on the app ticked up steadily during the years what used to be an app just to share and comment on others posts became an app with constant stream of stories, reels, and lives. My daily life could be shared and my interests, style, Homemaking and even Faith felt affirmed by the attention I received. Over the years I recovered a lot of my sanity by becoming less numbers obsessed by likes but I gave up as much of that energy in just posting my daily snippets.

So here’s some of the reasons I’m leaving behind insta world to write a blog that might get less than 10 reads a post.

-Real Life Community over Online-

I have been building community in real life instead of “reel life” this includes my new church and the small groups I’m now in, my Pilates studio, and my new service commitments. All of this requires putting my attention and energy on others and Instagram is taking from the finite personal resources I have.

-Financial Folly-

An area of most stumbling as a wife has been being a good steward of the household budget – Instagram has not made me worse – I have made myself worse by following brands with constant releases and hype, constantly finding new brands to buy from and allowing myself to think shopping all the time is normal. This area has been a struggle for so long and I wonder how many of us struggle here. We long to be more controlled but we are constantly being fed an ever more specific and curated niche market of goods that are so appealing to us!

-Comparison-

– Shall I compare me to… a person who seems to always be perfectly put together while I often think I’m just a bit frazzled, a person who has 7 kids and a house that always appears spotless and talks about how not having kids at this point in my life is a sign I don’t trust God, a home so cozy in the country while I live in the city. Oh we know coveting is a sin but the flesh is weak. I don’t only compare I measure myself against people I don’t know – and these measurements aren’t healthy for my heart.

-Time –

time goes by so quickly – or does it? When my screen report is dredged up on my iPhone I’m embarrassed! Am I spending more of my time idly scrolling and posting instead of on service to others especially in my own home, am I making those calls to elderly relatives? Am I slowing down to enjoy spring in my city? The answer is I’m hardly doing any of the things in my life with my full attention on them. I throw hours to an app daily – DAILY! just a few days off and suddenly I’ve created room to read and write, to make paper crafts, to connect more with my husband during his work day, to pray to be still in His presence, the list goes on..

All of these areas of my life have been improved in just a few days off the app – I want everyone to know I have appreciated chatting with you and hope to chat with you on this blog and via email if you ask for it. Best wishes my darling friends 💐