Is instagram still relevant?

I go through ebs and flows of posting on instagram. Excited one minute that I’m going to use it as the platform for self expression, a creative outlet. Sharing my love for fashion, design and style. Posting my outfits of the day. Sharing my sewing projects with pride and enthusiasm. Then ultimately I dip and feel I need a break from instagram. The noise. The mental clutter and the confusion it always seems to give me. Like, I ask myself what the end goal is? What value is sharing on this platform bringing to me and my creative work? And why do I feel inclined to share?

I feel strongly that as a creative, sharing what I create, whether that be a design or simply a fun outfit, is just a deep desire I have always had and is it part of the creative process. I believe this is an important part for all creatives!

But something about sharing on instagram recently (well the past few years really) always ends up leaving me feeling less then, not good enough, silly, anxious… depressed.

Is it just me? Is it my confidence in my own work ? Is it the algorithm and nature of social media now that pushes these perfect lives, perfect creatives and influencers that I feel I’ll never measure up to.

Once upon a time I remember an Instagram that felt more like a place to find community. Fellow creatives. A place that felt expansive and endless and inspiring. I miss that Instagram.

It use to be a place where we believed anyone could ‘make it’. Is this still true? The algorithm makes me believe this sometimes. Sending me ‘ways to grow your following’. If only you have xx following then you can grow your dreams and your business and your life. Somehow follower count has surpassed the need for skill, experience and talent in your field and follower count gives you more power than anything. At least this is what it makes you believe. And I don’t want to believe that anymore.

I have come to realise that this is the falsehood it has come to sell us. What it was built on and the success stories that came from it co time to sell us the dream. But I don’t believe in that dream anymore. I don’t believe in the Instagram success and I am done with it.

I have deleted the app many times but always go back to it. This time I am definitely deleting it and feel so ‘done’. I am seeking the old internet. Like a simple blog or personal website. That can be my creative outlet of sharing my work. No follower count, no like count, no views. Simple. Just me sharing what I love. That’s my 2026 goal. Less comparison as a result of being too online and more doing it for me and my little life.

But what do you think? Do have a more positive experience with the platform? How have your online experiences been and how does this effect for in real life and mental health?