u/Cobblestonecreeperfl

Gen Z male university graduate here. 3 months ago I decided to unfollow and remove everyone not in my immediate circle/ family on instagram, took 4 days and a total of almost 3k followers gone.

I used to care so much about follower count, follower to following ratio, and likes, to a point I had anxiety whenever I see 1 reduced follower and went through the trouble of doing a spreadsheet comparison just to find out who it was.

I used to go clubbing twice every week, date the hottest and most followed girls, eat at expensive fine dining restaurants that didn’t even taste that good, just to be able to post on instagram, despite not enjoying one bit of anything, as if I needed evidence to show strangers I was happy and living my best life.

Seeing others post their “high lives” did not make me feel one bit happy for them, it only made me feel envious, cringe, or even hate, It felt like losing in a competition of flashy lives. And I wasn’t the only one feeling that way, I’ve overheard others openly express their hate or cringe behind their backs, everything was extremely toxic.

Ever since I unfollowed everyone outside of my immediate circle, the anxiety and pressure was gone immediately. Not everyone likes playing golf or tennis, fine dining tastes better and feels special when reserved for special occasions, visiting Marbella once is enough, and clubbing is just out right repetitive and tiring. I stopped feeling the need to do what others think is cool and post, and I stopped feeling the envy and hate inside me.

I’ve developed new hobbies, ones I actually enjoy by myself, without taking the phone out. I’ve saved more money to go on trips I wanted to go. Staying in and watching the projector with my current girlfriend is something I look forward to at work and makes me feel genuine happiness.

When I do post occasionally, I post what I’m truly enjoying/ thankful for in life, and I feel genuinely happy for my friends when they post theirs, because I know they’re doing the same. No one is competing, no one is proving anything, just what instagram was originally intended for.

Nowadays I stopped reaching for my phone all that much, my day to day life is far from “lit” on instagram, but every day I feel what I didn’t, content.

I know a lot of people are still trapped in that instagram life cycle, feeling the way I did. I encourage you to just do it, you will feel so much better.