Many of us use Instagram . In Belgium, it is estimated that more than 53.1% of Belgian Internet users between the ages of 16 and 64 are present on the platform. But we know that certain aspects of online life can be harmful for young people if they are not attentive and warned. In this article, we give you some tools to better use Instagram and have a good time online!
Our tips for making the most of
What we can easily find on the Internet to help us make better use of Instagram are tips, for example, to help us have more followers or reach a larger community of people… If you want to be an influencer, or if you already are, these tips may be for you and we invite you to read this article !
But we also believe that to better use Instagram, it is important, first of all, to learn how to protect yourself by reflecting on the impact of certain practices! Here are our few tips:
1. Putting the comparison into perspective
Comparison is a totally human and normal social phenomenon. We look at ourselves, then we look at each other, and we wonder how we are different or similar. So there’s nothing wrong with that in theory. But numerous studies have shown that on social networks, there can be dangerous comparisons between users that make some users feel bad about themselves.
Our first advice will then be to invite you to put into perspective this feeling that you can sometimes feel when looking at photos of celebrities or influencers. She sometimes makes your life seem less desirable than theirs! To put this impression into perspective, remember that you are not the only one to feel this and especially that the real life of people only resembles in a tiny part the content of their Instagram page . It is the job of influencers to sell a desirable image. They “ build ” their brand image and implement strategies that contribute to their success with young people.
2. Don’t be fooled by retouched photos
In 2021, the online magazine “Psychologies” published an article in which it expressed great concern about the impact of Instagram and its content on young people. Seeing images of bodies and faces that are almost “perfect” and very often retouched, it is common to feel that we are “imperfect”.
Instagram is the most used platform by models and celebrities. We are therefore quite easily confronted with content highlighting physical beauty. Our advice on this point is, first of all, to keep in mind that many edits are very often made to the photos of influencers/models/celebrities or even to the content of ordinary users. And if that’s not enough to make you appreciate who you are, we advise you to stay away from pages that make you feel inadequate or flawed. It is much more beneficial to follow pages that inspire you and make you appreciate who you are.
3. Do not tolerate harassment
Harassment and meanness online are unfortunately very common phenomena that have caused many people to have a bad experience of their online experience. If this is your case, we want to remind you that harassment is not tolerable. Cyber-harassment is punishable because it is a crime. In addition to what the platforms already allow you to do, such as blocking the person and reporting the content concerned, it is important to keep in mind that you can report harassment and file a complaint !
4. Do not let yourself be “influenced” by influencers too much
An experience is always more pleasant when our free will is solicited. On Instagram, we can sometimes be tempted to follow trends or buy products promoted by people we follow. We advise you to be attentive to the marketing strategies that can influence you and to help you, we invite you to read this article which allows you to better spot them!
Find balance
As with everything in life, when you appreciate something, you may want to make the most of it. But we should never abuse the “good things”, or at least the things that seem good to us. It is always essential to find a form of balance! Our last tip regarding your use of Instagram is about your connection time. To have a good balance between your time online and your time offline, try to limit your time on screens, get out and move
(If you’re already looking to limit your time online but don’t know how to go about it, this article might help.
Thanks for taking the time to read this article! We hope you find it useful and that you get the most out of your online interactions!
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