Insta-ttraction

Let’s have a go at a little game, shall we? Would you rather give up your smartphone forever or eat a whole chocolate cake in one sitting? Would you rather forgo the internet for a year or have to wear heels every day for a month? Tough choices? No worries, I’m just messing with you. The internet is an endless source of humour, beauty, wonder, magic and facts and lies and unpleasantness. However, rarely is it not entertaining.

It’s the modern day quilting bee. We all get together, in our different time zones, across the globe and share stories, news, information, gossip. Maybe some share a little too much, but I don’t think they can really be blamed. Sharing stories gives us a sense of belonging. Belonging gives a sense of openness. Openness provides a sense of trust. Trust breeds a willingness to share. It’s an endless spiral. A vortex sucking us in. Not a new concept, but my thinking is we might as well enjoy the ride. The internet ain’t going anywhere soon.

Realizing that, I’ve been exploring a bit. You might say I’ve been stepping out on my current beau, Facebook. I’ve been poking around Pinterest for a while now, but Instagram recently caught my eye. Nothing’s happened yet, but I think I’m in love. It was instant attraction.

Pinterest is like library or like that stack of old magazine at the cottage that you go through on a rainy afternoon. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge fan of libraries and of cottages with stacks of old magazines. You leaf through Pinterest and get ideas or see things you’ve got to try or have never heard of before. It’s fabulous.

Instagram, though, is life, or almost life. It’s nipping at the heels of a decadence – voyeurism. Living life, or as close to as you can, vicariously through the internet. It’s not that I want to have, do or see everything that I discover on Instagram, but it’s fresh. It’s animated. It’s instant. Not my instant, but it was somebody’s instant. Their flash. Their reality. But we get to share. 😉

Since its inception, Instagram has been a playground for the young, but over the last year or so, it’s become a stage for the young at heart. Women in their forties now make up a sizable share of Instagram participants and I think it shows. Instagram is growing up.

Sure there are the duds and the Instagram stars like the Kardashians and Taylor Swift, but dig around a bit and there’s gold in those pages. Some of my personal pleasures are Gwynneth Paltrow’s Goop, Another celebrity wit a wonderful site is Diane Keaton. Kate Arends’ design @witanddelight, the always inspiring Humans of New York and cuteness abounds with @piggyandpolly.

Be careful out there, though. It can be irresistible.

Have you explored Instagram, yet? Which is your favourite social media platform? Share with us in the comments below.

Photo credit: Visual Hunt via All the Free Stock Photos