Owing to its extensive features that help to find true inspiration, share creativity, and attract brand deals, Instagram has become indispensable. However, its unrealistic beauty standards can also lead to low self-esteem, social anxiety, and body image issues. Accordingly, users around the world are grappling with questions about the benefits and drawbacks of Instagram for personal use which we will discuss in detail.
Benefits of Instagram for Personal Use
Instagram is a versatile platform that caters to the diverse needs and interests of its users. Its extensive set of features aims to enhance your experience in numerous ways. Here are a few benefits of Instagram for personal use:
- Huge Platform: Instagram is a relatively huge platform because of the highest number of active users across the globe compared to its counterparts Twitter, Facebook, and others. Getting to be able to such a huge platform in itself is a benefit.
- Connect With People: Instagram as a social media platform enables you to find and connect with new people and increase your contacts. You can discover like-minded people or explore diverse points of view from different parts of the world.
- Personal branding: This is one of the most powerful and essential benefits of Instagram for personal use. If you are an influencer or creator, then you can use Instagram to attract brand deals and lucrative money-earning opportunities
- Free of Cost: Users can download Instagram for free from Google Play Store or App Store. Moreover, Instagram is one such platform that does not charge for any of its features.
- Share Content: Since Instagram is primarily a photo-sharing app, people enjoy putting up posts for their followers. Apart from this, you can also post dance reels, food recipes, DIY content, and so much more through Instagram reels. Moreover, Instagram stories are a great way to share your POV and polls on different topics.
- Filters: One of the reasons why people use Instagram is because of the filters that you can find on the app. These filters make your stories and posts look attractive. It can also enhance the aesthetic aspect of your posts and stories.
- Run a Small Business: Instagram is also a great place to take your business online. If you have a skill or passion such as blogging, content creation, and cooking, you can go on to display it on your public Instagram page. Once you start promoting your products to your followers, you can sell and earn for yourself.
- Keeps updated: When you use Instagram it keeps you up to date with the happening around the world provided you have followed such pages. The posts and stories of the pages that you are following are available on the feed of the app. Therefore, be it your friends, family, celebrities, news portal, or whomever you follow you can get updated with what is happening around you.
- Post via Other Editing Apps: Instagram is one such platform where you can post from other apps as well. This feature is beneficial for users who are photo and video, editing junkies. Most of the editing apps provide options to share directly on Instagram along with captions and hashtags. Therefore, it is one of the benefits of the Instagram app for personal use as it helps in saving time.
- Switch Account Types: As explained earlier, there are two types of accounts on Instagram- Private and Public. Instagram allows you to switch between the account type if you want to change your account type from private to public or vice-versa. Therefore, you can decide who can follow you and get access to your content.
- Security and Privacy: To maintain the security and privacy on Instagram, they have community guidelines in place. Users violating the terms and conditions on Instagram are banned from using their accounts in terms of severity.
- Self-expression: Instagram offers a safe space where you can be who you are without facing judgment. It is a great app for self-discovery and lets you share your skills and talent effortlessly.
- Inspiration and discovery: Instagram as a platform have brought drastic changes in users’ life. It is because of whom they follow on Instagram. Many users get inspired by their role models and their success stories; thus, they proceed toward a brighter future. Apart from this, it also instills them with qualities like working hard, persistence, commitment, and much more.
These are the benefits of Instagram for personal use. Moving on let’s have a look at the disadvantages of Instagram for personal use.
Also Read: What Is a Personal Blog on Instagram?
Disadvantages of Instagram for Personal Use
Just like anything, Instagram has a fair share of its advantages and disadvantages. Now that you have learned about the advantages, here are a few disadvantages of Instagram for personal use:
- Increasing Scams: Though Instagram is emerging as a platform for running small businesses, a lot of scams also seem to happen on the app. Therefore, before purchasing from an Instagram store, buyers should always ensure the credibility of the store.
- Not suitable for Everyone: Youngsters are a huge part of the Instagram user community and the app’s interface and content is the most suitable for them. While Gen-Z users relate to and enjoy using Instagram, millennials have a tough time finding joy n Instagram. One of the reasons behind this can be the apps like Facebook and Orkut which they used while growing up.
- Impersonation: Just like other social media apps, impersonation is quite common on Instagram. Scammers often use the pictures and videos of public accounts to create fake ones and scam people. Moreover, many times it becomes difficult to ascertain whether the account is genuine or not. This is one of the biggest disadvantages of Instagram for personal use.
- Addiction: Addiction is one of the dark sides of Instagram. Mostly, users do not even realize when this leisure activity of scrolling starts wasting their time for hours. After all, too much of something can be harmful.
- Does not Support Other Operating Systems: Instagram can be only used on mobile devices with Operating Systems like iOS, Windows, and Android. Others using Operating Systems like LINUX and Blackberry will not be able to use Instagram on their devices.
- Limited Filters: While considering the filters on Instagram, those are beautiful, aesthetic, fun, and whatnot. But for professionals, these do not work. Therefore, they have to rely upon other apps and sources to get their images and videos edited as per their requirement.
- Unrealistic standards: Although Instagram offers a safe space for self-expression, it can also introduce the younger generation to unrealistic beauty standards. The sole emphasis on portraying only the good side of life has made people doubtful about their lifestyles and career. Moreover, some people also face body image issues and become more reserved and introverted.
- Online harassment: Another dark side of the world of social media is online harassment and bullying. Women are often subjected to abuses and threats whereas, men are exposed to unnecessary hate. Moreover, the ease of anonymity further empowers users to comment on inappropriate things in posts.
- Mental health issues: Considering the addictive behavior of social media users, it is no surprise that such patterns house several mental health issues. Spending a significant amount of scrolling reels, comparing oneself to others, and seeking validation can cause loneliness, anxiety, and depression.
Also Read: How to Use Trending Popular Instagram Reel Effects
By reading this article, you now have a complete understanding of the benefits of Instagram for personal use. However, there are two sides of a coin. Similarly, Instagram also comes with its fair share of disadvantages. To mitigate such adverse effects of social media, it is necessary to use this platform mindfully by setting boundaries.
