This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Valdosta chapter.
Social networking has made its way into the daily lives of you and I alike. With apps such as Instagram, it’s incredibly easy to get sucked in and, eventually, completely consumed by it. The important thing to remember, however, is that Instagram is not, and should not be your entire life. Here are some red flags to look out for to determine if you are taking Instagram more seriously than you should be.
1) You feel deeply offended when someone you know personally doesn’t follow you back.
2) You pose for a picture with the clear intention of it potentially being your avi.
3) You panic when your follower growth stalls for one day, or declines.
4) Hashtags are now your native language and you use them frequently #seriously #sorrynotsorry.
5) Choosing a filter is a life or death decision.
6) Satisfaction in your meal is completely lost if it isn’t captured, properly filtered, and uploaded to your profile.
7) The #selfie is an art form for you, never to be taken lightly.
8) You throw a fit if a photo you’re tagged in wasn’t approved by you first.
9) Your followers-to-following ratio is one if your greatest accomplishments on social media.
10) You find yourself tracking your own feed to assess what others might think of you due to what you post .
11) Instagram-stalking is your new Facebook-creeping and you use the clear search history feature frequently.
12) You’ve turned down a potential romantic partner due to their sub standard Instagram photos.
13) You consider anything less than double-digit likes a failed photo and delete it.
14) You take un-following as a personal attack on your follower count
15) You obsess over your following-to-likes ratio and take it personally when your likes don’t reflect your follower count
If any of these sound like you, maybe it’s time to turn off your phone or tablet and take a break from social networking. Try socializing the old fashioned way. Be outgoing, meet new people, and create bonds that are more stable than followers on a profile. Remember ladies, too much of anything isn’t good for you!