My kiddo uses Instagram, and I was hopping on his account every now and then, to peek at/check in with what he was posting and viewing. It seemed fun- the fun filters you can add to pics were kind of neat, and there are some fun "people" that I could "follow" to see their pics. Have you seen Marnie the Dog? A rescue Shih-Tzu with a tongue that just sticks out chronically? Hilariously adorable.
I signed up to get a an account myself, with the kiddo's help. But I soon realized that it's kind of rubbish. I was told that if I take a pic that doesn't use a filter, to add "NoFilter" to the pic. I was kinda feeling like most of the pictures posted were "filtered"...kind of...fake. I can see how as a teenager it would be really fun to use, and actually, it's causing my kid to take more photos (something I was nagging him to do, pre-Instagram). But it's not for me- it feels like just another method to be mindlessly addicted to a stream of online chatter and "noise." These days, I need more real-time, real-life, face-to-face friendships. More time with people who I can be me with- "no filter." I want to take more pics and share them in just the format they were seen and taken, not jazzed up with some cool tint, or cleaned up to look extra artsy or perfect. It's just where I'm at. I need less online spam and more real-life fun. If you want to hang out, "text me." ;) And I'll keep checking in on my kid's Instagram account the "old-fashioned way." :)
