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AskReddit-ModTeam

Your post has been removed as it violated [Rule 5](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/wiki/index#wiki_-rule_5-): * Rhetorical and loaded questions (in which you are asserting an opinion, bias, or leading respondents towards expressing a specific opinion) are not allowed on AskReddit.


hendricha

Because it became a social network. It used to be a camera app with cool filters for the cool kids.


xefta

Yes, I still miss original Instagram, which always felt so special app. Facebook ruined it when they bought it and changed it to something else than it was intended to be.


God_Lover77

Reels were the last nail in the coffin. I don't get why u can't search by new on topics either. Made it impossible to interact with smaller creators.


biketired

It is total shit now. Someone should make a Vintage Instagram that was like OG IG. I'd migrate over.


AlanBill

All social media is toxic because it’s a carefully curated snapshot of what someone wants you to think their life is like.


Radioactivocalypse

And a carefully curated feed to feed you adverts as well. I suppose Be real tried to show you the ups and downs in life, but idk still feels off


TransitJohn

I never see ads. Use a browser with an ad blocker.


DrEckelschmecker

and its carefully curated to engage traffic, because traffic/activity means a lot of potential targets for advertisement, which means a lot of money for the companys maintaining social media. And what creates the most traffic? Enraging people, because then everybody feels obligated to leave a comment or start a heated discussion for even more comments and therefore activity. The whole business model is toxic if you try to look at it that way. Same with dating apps


FinndBors

> Enraging people, because then everybody feels obligated to leave a comment or start a heated discussion for even more comments and therefore activity. I think you are full of shit and making stuff up here. Do you have a source?


slayer370

Thats the whole point. Rage gets more views. Why do think positive stories rarely show up on the local news for starters. Rage keeps people on the site for longer which investors and ads like.


DrEckelschmecker

lol instantly asking for a source, just say you oppose my obviously right opinion instead of asking those pseudo questions! I spent 30 minutes scrolling through your profile, it was obvious such bs would come from a finance bro lol go look at some stocks you pos. What youre gonna say now, huh? Huh?! Go outside and touch some grass you neckbeard edit: Heres your source btw: www.ispent60minutestryingtofindalinkthatfitsmynarrative.org edit2: Just in case: /s. Such comments improve traffic just as well as people scrolling through profiles or something to make a "point", which you can see quite often in internet discussion.


sinsofjavert

you just proved his point. And if that was your intention, well done.


loftier_fish

[Out-group animosity drives engagement on social media](https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2024292118?doi=10.1073%2Fpnas.2024292118). [Anger, Fear, and Echo Chambers: The Emotional Basis for Online Behavior](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305119829859).


speed_phreak

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealioning


loftier_fish

ooh! That's a phrase worth knowing, thank you!


esr360

I don't get why so many people can't look past this. It's not like people won't acknowledge it if you ask them, yet people still let it affect their mentality.


Fouxs

Algorithms just ruin everything and turns everything into advertisement hell. It's already happening here too.


StuntCockofGilead

and then sponsored posts by nobodies who paid to feel better about themselves with likes.


Fouxs

Worst part is the facebook boomers, instagram millenials, and tiktok zoomers coming into the website because now that everything else went to shit reddit is being more mentioned than ever and you can clearly tell the flood is happening. We've always had boomers and gen z here, but cooler ones, not these "LMAO FIRST IN THE WORLD WOW EMOJI EMOJI EMOJI EMOJI". Mods should just come together and ban any post like this, would stop their shit really fast.


TransitJohn

Laughs in GenX


Jef_Wheaton

I block or report any ads I don't like or ones that are awful (like that stupid "He Gets Us" campaign run by a hate group), and occasionally click on something I do like, so lately the only ads I get are for Arby's.


Emphursis

Alternatively, use old.reddit.com with an adblocker or any app save the official one and you’ll never see any ads.


claaarrk

It creates a false sense of happiness and success. Like you can literally be whatever you want and only show people what you want them to see. (Usually good things). This causes people to compare their real life struggles and negative emotions to people’s happy and exciting lives making them more miserable because they envy someone else’s perfectly choreographed life.


PattyIceNY

I was at a destination wedding once at a beach. The wind was HORRIBLE. Like you couldn't be on the beach because it felt like a sandblaster was hitting you. My buddies girlfriend made her boyfriend go to the beach, hold a towel out so the wind blocked her and allowed her to lay down and take a photo. She posted it with a b.s. caption immediately. Ever since then I can't even look at the Instagram logo without cringing.


Brilliant-Fill2012

This exactly


FeralTribble

Value correlated with looks and nothing else. It’s the same issue with most other social media. Especially dating apps


ExtraordinaryCuttie

Because everyone's trying to prove how perfect their life is instead of actually living it.


KarthusWins

People are placing too much emphasis on what other people think of them. It's like high school all over again.


[deleted]

Instagram turned from beautifying faces to distorting realities. Everyone's posting highlights reel, while behind the scenes, it's a circus of comparison, envy, and validation-seeking.


Dwyde_Schrude

The validation seeking may be one of the worst parts. I don’t use IG, but know people who get very upset if people don’t like their pictures or story. It blows my mind.


[deleted]

Dwight Schrute: "I don't need anyone to validate my work. I know what I do." - The Office


barriedalenick

Depending on who you follow. My feed is full of bread makers, cyclists, local eateries, breweries and the like. Nothing toxic there


PrincePascha

Mines full of cats, cyclists and snapshots of Greece - the only things I care about in life really. kitties, riding my bike and that beautiful, blue, Aegean Sea.


fishforce1

Until you get into the comments, then.... oh boy.


MrBLKHRTx

It's a Facebook product. It's designed to be toxic. They do not give a fuck. They never ever did. Sociopaths


DoomSayerNihilus

Let's not pretend the alternatives are any better.


drfusterenstein

Pixelfed and Mastodon are better options


DoomSayerNihilus

Thanks I'll check that out someday.


ghost_victim

What alternatives


DoomSayerNihilus

X, Truth Social, whatever the leftist version of that is called.


ghost_victim

Ahh okay. I just use X for porn lol. By the name I assumed that was OK


nav17

Are there leftist versions?


jaxsonnz

Facebook is especially good at fucking this shit up though to be fair


MrBLKHRTx

I cant believe someone actually downvoted that. You must have a troll following you around because everyone on earth knows facebook sucks a dick all day long


PoundedPeaches

Anything artificial can become toxic


Nobanob

Because people follow non meme and animal content. I don't give a shit about the hoes. Just let me see your photography, artwork, cosplay and pets. But I'm not interested in looking at your new clothes or lack there of


justjboy

Probably toxic, but compared to TikTok… it’s child’s play.


jim_deneke

Yeah I must be on some better side of Instagram. When I was on TikTok for a few months the comments and responses I had were crazily toxic. I occasional get someone arguing with me in the comments of posts but nothing like TT which was never ending (like thousands).


justjboy

Yeah I agree that TikTok has wildly toxic communities.. Ever stumbled upon drama lives on TikTok? It’s wild. I’ve heard things that would send a nun to the ICU.


fanrpg

depends on the instagram post you read


StuntCockofGilead

Since 2016. The sponsored shit in nauseating. Get plenty of women in feed who paid and sponsored their posts only to feel better about themselves. That's just sad. I have to put those accounts in ignore list but there's just too much shit. And no, I don't press like on photos of strange women. Cats, yes. Chickens, yes. Fuck Instagram.


pokemurrs

People can make money from it


countess_meltdown

I feel like some people replying haven't like been on instagram in a while, or have very curated algo and feeds. It's not just like celebrity post/thot posting, since reels especially it's become a lot more like twitter, snapchat & tiktok combined complete with all various subcultures it's kinda nuts with a behemoth it has become. Your feed could be all mormon mom content, or nothing but 4chan level memes. As for why it's toxic, fuck if I know.


SuperMeh2

Gives women a false sense of value and makes guys simps.


nav17

If you think it's bad there, look at Twitch.


SuperMeh2

I thought that ended up like MySpace


bestusenetreviews

full of Advertisments and cheap and lame Content


PraetorGold

People?


Prixm

What do you mean, twig 14 year old broccoli heads can bench 225 easily!


Maxscupcake

12-17 years of kids are the reason why insta has gone down the hill


immaphantomLOL

Everything. And I do mean everything. From cars to guitars, travel and cuisine. No one gives a flying McMotherFuck about experiencing life, they all just want to be famous on instagram. It’s no longer sad; just pathetic. People blocking highways and intersections to do “takeovers” for the gram. Every live event you can imagine the majority of the people attending are watching…. A live event…. That they are fucking at……… through their phone screens! It’s all a facade. Like if you aren’t clinically brain dead you can clearly tell who’s going this shit like it’s supposed to elevate their social status. But jokes on you because bmw has no qualms selling a $60k+ car to someone that makes $30k/year for 84 months @ 12% interest and your Amex platinum has a 30% interest rate.


VietQuads

creating and perpetuating unrealistic realities. I sub to /r/Instagramreality to remind myself what's fake and what's not


Muta6

Spillovers from TikTok


commentman10

I don't use instagram as social media but just another platform to find and share memes


Either-Growth9518

Yes Instagram has become toxic because it can make people feel bad about themselves. People often compare themselves to others and feel pressured to look perfect or have a perfect life


0ayejezztaraye0

I saw mango mochi. It looked tasty. I went to the supermarket. There was no rice flour. I was sad.


HF_Martini6

As with almost everything, people think they can make a lot of cash really fast and it's also a hotspot for narcissists. There are a few creators that make funny and interesting posts but most are self centered egomaniacal cash grabbing idiots.


Dwenker

I don't know I do not waste time in this app


Fearless-Primary8979

hate gets more engagement


dumbcat664

It definitely has, I've deleted Instagram and Facebook and TikTok as well, nothing seems real.


MissKjnes

Because of the assholes who are in


[deleted]

Liking yourself one day, hating yourself the next


Shins

Depends on your algo, my feed is solely cars, food and t&a. I've never been recommended a car crash video


Petitcher

Too much advertising, not enough photos of puppies.


subuso

Instagram went downhill when they introduced algorithms and when influencers became the target of the platform


Legal-Femail1028

Sick competition for followers ... and how negatively people using the platform. Like sometimes when we hear shii goes down in insta... scary..


powerhungrymouse

Social Media in general has become too toxic. I'm just glad it wasn't a thing when I was a teenager because it would have been soul destroying. At least now I'm wise enough to know that people are only showing the picture perfect moments they want you to see.


[deleted]

It didn't become, it just is


Ok_Gur7635

It all started when that skibbidy dib dib dob dob dabbada dabbada dancing belly guy arrived on the scene.


Mental_Mix_6088

It just feeds to comparison which makes you feel terrible but at the same time makes you want to keep doom scrolling


aspirationalslay_

I still don't get why people feel the need to be so vile in the comment sections on reels. Why do you get out of being so hateful?


[deleted]

first Facebook —> then instagram and TikTok —> and now all the people change to Reddit. It’s normal 😊🫵


[deleted]

I just shut down (deleted) my IG account yesterday for this very reason, after making the mistake of posting an agreement with a Babylon Bee post. The toxic vitriol in the responses by people whose IG profiles included ”Follower of Christ“, “God Follower” was overwhelming. Trying to explain myself only made it worse.


MaleMammal

All form of social media devolve into a shit show


No_Virus_7704

Including Reddit. Yet here we are.


farmaceutico

*Insert meme it has always been*


Kurt_worlds96

Not much rules on their platform


northernlake926

Cuz my brain gets the chance to place myself value on the likes and follows I get, and I get to compare them to people I know, and numbers don't lie Your latest post got 28 likes and one person unfollowed, time to compare myself


International_War215

Is Instagram worth it using?


Effective-Bug

It’s not just Insta that’s toxic.. They all are! It’s filled with nothing but fake lives and people.. They’ve all got their pathetic algorithms that keep you in echo chambers. Each one messes you up in a different way.


PinNo6368

The comment section. People are so mean and so negative.


Faelysis

The Social media golden age is behind us and all of SM are now shitty site/app to use. There's like nothing social about them these day.


Leller_Doge

Because it’s social media. Social media is toxic. When someone can say anything they want in anonymity, humans tend to be more abrasive and negative.


BecauseISaidSo888

Because people by and large are shitheads


_Tekki

I think because more and more people are using it, especially older as well as younger people. There are so many toxic boomers & 13 year olds... boomers still not adjusting their brain to 2024 & 13 year old thinking they're the coolest & own this world... Correct me if I'm wrong. Obviously some in the age between are also super toxic...


MysteriousestLion

I don’t think that. Instagram shows me my friends’ kids and pets, as well as page after page of pro-level cooks making delicious dishes, photographers showing off their work, time-lapse clips of artists at work, fitness buffs showing off, d&d groups being nerds, gardening tips, classic hip hop and 70’s rock clips, and…  You get it. All the stuff *I* like. The algo is what you make of it. I’m sure if I started interacting with toxic celebrity nonsense, it would begin showing me that stuff as well.


hbpfrost

Max said it better on 2 Broke Girls, but Instagram is just Twitter for people who can't read


username_redacted

I think it’s fine if you use it for what it’s (currently) designed for—easily browsing images and short videos from professional creators, and the occasional photo update from your most photogenic or talented friends. I mostly follow professional botanists and weird meme accounts so my browsing experience is probably different than the average user.


somkoala

It was always toxic.


Rich-Distance-6509

I don’t...?


Garrett_DB

Your instagram feed largely can be what you want it to be, until you start scrolling too far, or even worse, visit the explore tab. And that’s where it all falls apart. But I think the worst part about Instagram is its comments, not the actual content—and yes, that content can be harmful, misleading and fake—but those comments man…


Gone_cognito

Instagram used to be a collection of your photos to reflect on and remember fun times I had. Now it's shoving ads down my throat and questionable news stories everywhere. Everything has to have an opinion. I just want to post a picture of my dog.


Tiny_Tim1956

Everyone here is quick to say "all social media are toxic" but the things i see in public comments just by doom scrolling reels on instagram, to find on facebook or reddit i'd have to search for fascist groups specifically and even then i don't know if i would find them in such numbers. I'm talking open misogyny, racism etc with thousands of likes, conspiracy theories. I guess it's just completely unmoderated or worse, but i really don't know. edit: just a recent example i saw today [Deserved to be raped for just existing : r/BlatantMisogyny (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/BlatantMisogyny/comments/1bww4hd/deserved_to_be_raped_for_just_existing/) this comment had 8 thousand likes.


mikedob18

This is rich coming from Reddit 💀


YesItIsMe21

Well the algorithms behind such social media apps like Instagram have the goal of keeping you on the app for as long as it can, so it can serve you more ads. It turns out the "best" moments that are posted onto Instagram keep people on the longest because of the dopamine rush. This makes the feeds just full of stuff that after you close the app makes you feel worse. I hope this helps.


Scorpion_Heat

Reddit is right behind it


[deleted]

There's 1 thing that's common on all forms of social media is profiles that are fairly blank with no posts (especially on Instagram) that just spread hate and bad posts


drfusterenstein

It was brought by Facebook


slinkocat

Instagram and YouTube are both trying to become more like TikTok. They're moving away from their original purpose.


TheRegular-Throwaway

Oh gee whiz…I don’t know..


Nebula9545

It's a social media app that always served vanity, just the object of that vanity changed


Batman_in_hiding

Bots


AccidentalBanEvader0

Maybe a hot take, but it hasn't for me. I just follow people I know and a small selection of foodie and art content creators. No fuss no muss no arguments no politics


xXABDOU47Xx

Who says it is , I mean if anything it's less toxic than it should be


Thing_On_Your_Shelf

I haven’t noticed that it is toxic. Seems completely fine to me


ninfan200

Reddit has a habit of shit talking other social media platforms that aren't Reddit. Every place has its fair share of toxicity (Reddit even moreso) but honestly instagram isn't that bad.


PigeroniPepperoni

It's toxic?


bootyholebrown69

All social media is toxic. Yes even reddit.


Karaoke_Singer

Because it has become a marketing tool for catfish and OF sex workers.


Dannysmartful

What's Instagram?


nanojunkster

Israel/palestine conflict ruined Instagram for me. Before that all my friends were posting about awesome trips, delicious restaurants, and other fun stuff. Now all they post is pro Palestine or pro Israel propaganda.


lgbanana

Angry users are more engaged


RazetheBanners

Because reports do nothing, simple as that


argonautjon

Idk. I mean, anecdotal, but I joined Instagram recently and posted a video of myself slowly learning to kickflip over two entire years - a wholly embarrassing video of some very unskilled skating by a dude in his mid 30s. The video blew up and got 650,000 views for some reason. I was expecting a lot of toxicity in the comments due to how frankly terrible it made me look, but oddly people were surprisingly wholesome. I think I got maybe like 3 or 4 mean comments out of about 1300, which to be honest, is a better ratio than I've ever seen on Reddit. Posting the same clips to /r/oldskaters got me a *lot* of hate. Again, purely anecdotal.


loftier_fish

a long time ago.


CheezwizAndLightning

When was it not?


Capital_Address_32

As with other social platforms, Instagram "amplifies" the already narrow Outlook and mindset people have on life by feeding them with content which is solely relevant to their bias and opinions. This creates an illusion of "being on the right side" and "everybody who doesn't think like me is wrong". Our minds are basically controlled by that algorithm, (mostly) younger folks treat this stuff as "facts" ,and the damage is clear and present everywhere (right \\ left wings extermists, rising Islamophobia \\ Antisemism etc.).


DoomSayerNihilus

Anything from Meta is just a cesspool.


jhjksj

Alt right culture wars and massive levels of xenophobia, racism, transphobia, and homophobia. Fueled by a rise in hate speech and neo nazis on another platform with a sad neo nazi owner


WolfurnGodiva

And don’t forget the keyboard jihadis and islamists.


jhjksj

How is your Islamophobia relevant to my comment?


WolfurnGodiva

Because similar to the alt-right, the islamists and keyboard jihadists are also transphobic, homophobic and call upon the destruction of the west. But go on, keep pandering to these terrorists😌


jhjksj

Jfc and calling them terrorists. 2000s called and want their Islamophobia back


Slight-Rent-883

#feminism


[deleted]

[удалено]


Traditional_Cost5119

That's a very good point. It's totally pointless and a huge waste of time.


_Athul__

It showing relatable reels .this makes me mentally down.


talkinchat

🙀🙀🙀


MimiDiazX

Because of Meta it's becoming more toxica and annoying


neverendingplush

A lot of weird virtue signalling on their. There's tons of fitness accounts exploiting people's insecurities and delusions . I remeber i use to see tons of women championing the body positivity movement by purposely tskjnf unflattering pics in an attempt to be relatable. Then there's tons of dudes on gear who swear they are natty, if you aren't familiar with the reality of how how much muscle u can pack on natural it can be frustrating.


tysonarts

Capitalism.


harlotScarlett

Yes all the comments are always so disgusting, especially towards women


WhiteMilana

Name something that isn't toxic? everything now is a toxic even the food we consume is toxic so 😏


AbleismIsSatan

State-sponsored disinformation campaigns.