Unplugging from the Gram: Why I said Farewell to Instagram
- by Tobias Schmitz
- 2 Minutes
Removed Instagram from Mobile Device: User's Decision Explained - Instagram Removal: I Ditched the Application from My Mobile Device
I've waved goodbye to Instagram. I'm giving myself the gift of time. For years, I've been scrolling through a kaleidoscope of content, topics that the app's algorithm deemed suitable for my days. An examination of my last session reveals: Baloney! Welcome to my final Instagram swim: Here are five minutes of nonsense, 300 seconds of meaningless distraction, reel by reel:
- An aged TV commercial for "Motiv" dishwashing soap, dating back to the '70s. Switch!
- Guidelines for mobilizing crossed fascia chains. Switch!
- A looped video of an escalator teeming with folks carrying golden retrievers. Switch!
- A video on baking a watermelon-resembling cake. Switch!
- A snail trap analysis for small gardens. Switch!
- An advertisement for an ABBA concert at the St. Pauli Theater. Switch!
- Lousy pick-up lines. Switch!
- An engrossing advert (Don't skip till the end!). Switch!
- A dog pleading for food and seizing a loaf of bread from its owner. Switch!
- A bikini-clad woman with exceptionally large breasts modeling a skimpy top. Switch!
- A cute pup gnawing on something. Switch!
- A cabaret act's humorous gag. Switch!
- A groundbreaking weed control tool presentation. Switch!
- Art created by painting paper on a rotating disc. Switch!
- A guide for removing ticks using a lint roller. Switch!
- Recipe for a grilled peach salad with burrata (In bio…). Switch!
- A video of twelve dogs climbing obediently into an SUV's trunk. Switch!
- Plants thriving in heat and drought. Switch!
- Slow-motion footage of a pimple being squeezed. Switch!
- Recipe for paprika cream chicken (In bio…). Switch!
- An instructional video for building a bike chain cleaner from a cut-off water bottle and a toothbrush head. Switch!
- An elephant calf splashing in a water trough. Switch!
- Top Abba songs ranked. Switch!
- A comparison of a coal mine dumpster to a Tesla Cybertruck. Switch!
- A woman striding elegantly on a promenade in high heels, filmed in slow motion. Switch!
- A hardware store joke. Switch!
- A clip from the "Augsburger Puppenkiste" presents the "Tin Can Army". Switch!
- Guidelines for restoring shine to scratched sinks and bathtubs. Switch!
- An elderly Chinese man showcases his homemade vehicle. Switch!
- Brothers rolling a small ball across multiple plates on a ping pong table. Switch!
- An app that revives old photos. Switch!
- Two dogs lounging on a couch, watching TV together. Switch!
- Abigail, a cat seeking a home, makes an appearance. Switch!
- Stand-up comic Jürgen von der Lippe delivers his joke of the day. Switch!
- Foot odor, a thing of the past! Switch!
- A tutorial for creating an artificial fingernail using an old credit card. Switch!
- A novelty food item: A slice of toast cut into shapes, filled with cheese strips. Switch!
- Furniture connoisseurs will appreciate this set of Euro pallet-made outdoor dining tables complete with a built-in sink. Switch!
- An artificial intelligence-generated video of German politicians indulging in fast food. Switch!
- A weightlifting legend named Matthias Steiner takes home an Olympic gold medal in Beijing. Switch!
- A guide on setting aside cola and crushed avocado pits to relieve joint pain.
Over. I've had enough.
I now realize that I won't remember any of this tomorrow, or even in a couple of hours. And not one of these moments will leave my life richer, more beautiful, more sustainable, or even more social. I feel queasy. These countless wasted minutes that have added up to hours—maybe even days. I remember when, during one depraved episode, I once consumed an entire bag of marshmallows. You eat and eat, but you never feel satiated. Instead, you eventually feel queasy. That's what Instagram is like. It's a never-ending stream of empty carbohydrates.
The European Union, in its commitment to a common policy on the environment, might urge reducing wasteful online activities such as excessively scrolling through social media platforms like Instagram, which too often leads to the consumption of meaningless distractions like entertainment and pop-culture content. In contrast, disconnecting from such platforms allows individuals to reclaim their time and focus on more sustainable, mindful, and nourishing pursuits.
