I have officially run my tru.blu.art Instagram account for one year as of March 23rd. And woo BOY have I changed. Not only in my art, but as a person.
(Also here’s on of my favorite art pieces, sorry self promo, ignore the words on there)
One thing I realized about Instagram? Addiction.
It’s almost like a drug. Bored? Check if you have any notifications. Just waking up? Check if you have any notifications. Just told your friend goodnight? Check if you have any notifications. It doesn’t help that Instagram doesn’t tell you when you have a notification most of the time, so that’s more of a reason to open up the app to see if you have any notifications. Now, people have known for a while that social media is addicting. When I tried to give up Instagram for a week, I had to uninstall the app because I was constantly trying to get back on it. When it was gone, I was constantly searching for it, needing something to fill my time.
What that taught me, though? Internet friends are still valid.
I announced to my followers that I would be going on a short hiatus, thinking no one would care. I did it anyway so people wouldn’t wonder where I was. When I got back after a week, I had a paragraph from an internet friend who replied to it wanting me to stay safe and hoping things got better if something was seriously wrong.
I almost cried from happiness.
I know the risks of talking with strangers online. I know that they are capable of lying about who they are. I don’t share anything with anyone by themselves. I try to stay anonymous on my Instagram and rarely show my face, never share my location, and don’t give as little information as I possibly can. With my art friends, I just talk to them occasionally about something stupid. People I talk to a lot wouldn’t be surprised if I just randomly texted out “Everybody gangsta til the nuns start meowing” and think nothing of it. In real life? That’s weird and no one likes you. Online? They’re just as weird as you are. They accept you for who you are. My online friends are just as valid as my real friends. I thank Instagram for giving me that opportunity to talk with people who are now my best friends.
So, obviously there’s pros and cons to Instagram. Depending on how you use it, one may outweigh the other. Here’s to another year, guys.
Sara out <3
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