No doubt Instagram is one of the most used social media platforms. To start with, the platform houses more than 1.35 billion users.
People rely on the app to connect with friends, share amazing photos of themselves, grow their business, keep up with trending news, and simply have fun!
I really love the app because I get to keep up with the happenings in the lives of my favorite celebrities. I can also share my work and connect with people in my industry.
Other perks come from using the platform, like connecting with top influential personalities, making new friends locally and internationally, scaling your business, and sometimes being paid to influence sales for other brands. The list is endless!
As with all things, Instagram has its good and bad sides. And in this post, I’ll be focusing more on the dangers of the platform.
If this is your first time using the app, it’s better to have an idea of the downsides and how to combat them. So, make sure you read to the end to find out.
Without much ado, let’s dive right in and explore the dangers of Instagram.
Dangers of Instagram
1. It is addictive
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A consistent Instagram user will tell you that the app is as addictive as caffeine. And the reason is obvious! The app is like a bottomless pit of content from different users.
Reports have it that 1,074 pictures are uploaded on Instagram per second. This means that 64,440 pictures are posted per minute and almost four million per hour bringing the total number of pictures and videos uploaded daily to an estimated 95 million.
The more you scroll the platform, the more content you get. You’ll rarely see a post you’ve seen before. As you watch hilarious videos, dressing hacks, excerpts from TV shows, and other interesting reels, you won’t even realize how much time has passed.
Also, Instagram feeds constantly refresh to take you back to the top for fresh content that keeps you glued to your screen.
Addiction to Instagram and social media has, generally, reached an all-time high. It has become the underlying reason a group of strangers may be together in the same room for hours yet end up not speaking to each other.
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2. Instagram messes with your mental health
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It breaks my heart when I see people who constantly compare their lives with what they see others posting on Instagram. And the more they run these comparisons, the more depressed and unhappy they become with their own lives.
They start feeling ‘left out’ of the fun or that their lives fall short of the perfection they see on the ‘gram’. They forget that people only post what they want you to see.
You don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes. There might be more to the seemingly perfect life you see on Instagram.
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3. You don’t get enough sleep/rest
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We need sleep to rejuvenate our bodies. How well we sleep affects our growth and stress hormones, our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health.
But you won’t get enough sleep if you’re an Instagram addict. The app is so fun that you can literally scroll all night forgetting to catch some sleep.
I’m currently dealing with this and it’s no fun. After a day’s work, I should probably get some rest, I retreat to my room, log in to Instagram and start scrolling until as late as 3 am!
This leaves me exhausted in the morning and with little strength to face the demands of my life. I know a lot of people are in the same boat.
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This is another downside to Instagram – it hampers communication in real life. People spend so many hours scrolling, commenting, and ‘sliding into DMs’ that they fail to learn how to build other social skills relevant to day-to-day life.
They don’t know how to verbally articulate their thoughts because the only means of communication they have known is texting on social media.
It’s why some people ‘visit’ their family members but end up spending so much time online that it would have been better if they had not ‘visited’ at all.
Spending too much time on the internet can lead to medical issues such as eye strain, neck, lower back problems, anxiety, and obesity.
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5. Instagram exposes you to predators
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It’s quite sad that Instagram has been reported as one of the top platforms for child sex abuse networks. This is one of the major reasons why I am against kids having an account on the platform.
A lot of them turn the app into their ‘digital diary’ of sorts, posting regular updates about their lives, their full names, address, school, email, and even their current locations.
So, it’s easy for predators to stalk and track them. They slide into their inboxes and try to make appointments with them alone. Or sometimes sending or requesting inappropriate pictures from them, which they might use against them in the future.
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6. There’s so much graphic content on the platform
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Recently, I noticed that Instagram doesn’t necessarily show your posts to your followers. With hashtags and the explore page, people outside your network can still view your content.
Usually, I get likes and comments from people that I don’t remember following, and when I check them out, I realize that their pages are filled with content that I don’t necessarily want to see. A good example is pornography.
You could also stumble on other graphic content like drug abuse and murder. It’s usually not a good sight and one that could even mess with your mental health.
7. Instagram promotes cyberbullying
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You’ll be surprised at the number of hateful comments you’ll see on certain posts and pages. Most times, when someone shares a picture of themselves that doesn’t appeal to societal beauty standards, people take to the comment section to make disparaging comments that send the poster into depression.
It’s so sad that people hide behind their screens to spew hateful comments to others. Some go as far as creating clone accounts where they share embarrassing pictures and videos to publicly make fun of people.
While accounts like these can be reported and blocked, little to no measure has been put in place to ensure that there is no resurgence of such accounts and to protect the privacy of the person being harassed.
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8. Instagram promotes dangerous trends
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These days, it’s easy for challenges and trends to go viral. Some are super fun while others are very dangerous and life-threatening. And the more people jump on these challenges, the more they risk their lives.
Recently, I saw a challenge where someone was climbing a stack of crates while his friends cheered him on. His friends later took turns on the stack of crates.
Some people were carried away with how fun the challenge was, decided to try it, and got hurt in the process. For the young and vibrant, it’s all fun and games, simple content to create ‘for the gram’, until irreparable damages are made.
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9. The platform messes with your self-esteem
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Instagram is the hub of deepfakes. Users can easily edit their pictures to perfection. You’ll meet them offline and wonder if this was the same person you’ve been seeing pictures of online.
For people that are struggling with securing their self-esteem, they might start feeling insecure seeing perfectly made-up faces, flawless skin, and impeccable outfits.
They start feeling like the beauty they see on Instagram is ‘the standard’ and end up feeling bad that they’re not up to standard.
Maybe they are too skinny, too fat, too short, or too tall, and they will do anything they can to meet up with the beauty they see on the gram. Some develop eating disorders, others perform cosmetic surgeries to ‘meet the status quo’.
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10. It can lead to the desperate pursuit of fame
As you know that Instagram is one of the social media platforms where people make legit money simply by influencing. These users with a follower count of up to 100,000 or more are usually approached by brands to promote their products or services through their posts.
So they use their platform to enhance the brand’s visibility and boost their sales. These influencers are like digital ambassadors who earn money by influencing their network to make purchases.
While this is good, the problem starts when other users with smaller followings seek the same popularity and influence. They desire fame so much that they don’t mind what they do to have the spotlight on them.
Recently, I met someone who would constantly post embarrassing pictures of herself, even nudes, just so she would trend. Some even post false information about themselves to gain that popularity.
When this fame that they desperately want is not forthcoming, they start getting depressed and suicidal. They forget that building a large following on Instagram takes time.
As a bonus, I’ll add hacking as another danger of using Instagram. Although hacking is not uncommon in technology and generally on many other social media platforms, the effects can be much worse.
If your account is hacked, your conversations, pictures, and videos can be leaked online against your wishes.
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Safety measures to protect yourself on Instagram
Despite all of the dangers that Instagram embodies, it’s an indispensable tool and isn’t going away any time soon. The best we can do is to manage our interactions on the platform and protect our sanity.
Here are some safety measures to protect yourself on the app.
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Block buttons on Instagram work the same way as when you walk away from a conversation you no longer want to be a part of. Is someone stalking you or liking your posts to get your attention such that it becomes disturbing?
Are they leaving hateful comments on your posts? Simply block them and report the account. They won’t be able to access your page anymore.
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2. Put a restriction on the people who can comment on your post
This is another smart way to stay safe on Instagram. Rather than having anyone with an account comment on your post, you can simply restrict it to the people you follow and your followers.
This is how I manage my Instagram page and I’ve noticed that it has really cut down on the spam comments I receive. It also helps me maintain a safer and more private online environment.
You should try this too. You’ll have better control over who can interact with your posts. Only people who are genuinely interested in your content and have a connection with you can leave comments on your posts.
That way, you’ll have more meaningful and relevant interactions.
3. Refine your content feed
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Another way to stay clear of the dangers of Instagram is to tailor the algorithm to show you only the content that aligns with your interests.
The platform studies your content viewing habits and will show you related posts based on your preferences. Though it doesn’t always work that way, it’s best to let Instagram know that you’re not interested in certain content whenever it pops up.
Or, you can be more specific and select the topics or interests that you prefer to have on your feed.
Another strategy is to clean up your “Following” list. Since Instagram mostly shows posts from accounts you follow, you can review your list and unfollow accounts that no longer interest you.
You can even use the “Hide” button to conceal posts you don’t want to see at all.
4. Make your Instagram profile private
By default, posts on Instagram are usually made public. This means that anyone can view and comment on your posts.
To safeguard your privacy, you can set your profile to private so that you can dictate who can access your posts and engage with them. You also have the authority to choose your followers.
You’ll usually be notified when a new user wants to follow you. At least you can review their profile and decide whether or not you want them in your space.
5. Enable 2-factor authentication
This feature has helped to protect my Instagram account from unauthorized access especially when login attempts are made from unrecognized devices. To activate the authentication and add an extra layer of protection to your account, follow the steps below.
- On your profile picture, tap the three horizontal lines at the top of your profile.
- Click Privacy and Security and scroll down to two-factor authentication.
- Then choose the Edit two-factor authentication setting.
- Select the security method you want to add followed by on-screen instructions.
Conclusion
Similar to most social media platforms, Instagram has its flip side too. While its use can propel your business to bigger heights, give you a platform to influence others, and possibly get paid for it, its dangers must be well managed.
The platform has come to be a huge part of our everyday lives, but we must be careful to not allow algorithms to dictate our safety, self-confidence, and psychological well-being.
Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing. I started my first e-commerce company in college, designing and selling t-shirts for my campus bar crawl using print-on-demand. Having successfully established multiple 6 & 7-figure e-commerce businesses (in women’s fashion and hiking gear), I think I can share a tip or 2 to help you succeed.