The Honesty About Dishonesty on Instagram

I have to admit, I was a late comer to Instagram but can appreciate it’s virtues.  I follow far too many travel, food and fashion bloggers and over the course of getting up to speed with Instagram etiquette I have seen the same styling of photos pop up again and again.

Instagram has its positive and negative uses and showcases some amazingly talented individuals.  But it also drip feeds a lot of drivel and ‘same-same’ content with no creativity other than copying something that’s been done a million times before.

I’ll continue to dabble with Instagram as there is a lot I love on the platform, however I’m finding it lacks authenticity for a lot of accounts and can be irritating in huge doses.

I’ve pulled some examples from actual Instagram accounts to show you my love-hate relationship!

Here are 7 Instagram clichés that drive me nuts

1. The ‘Follow Me To’ post

We’ve seen these ones a MILLION times – the outstretched hand leading the photographer to a beautiful location.  Travel is fun, inspirational and thought-provoking, sadly these type of posts don’t move me to explore.

2. The ‘Sitting-on-the-Edge’ post

There’s been a lot of media debate around the world about some of the Instagram posts from influencers who have perched at the edge of clifftops, balanced on the ledges of high rises or taken photos at extremely dangerous locations in the name of capturing a selfie.

Social media has opened the floodgates for recognition.  Wanting to be noticed is not inherently a bad habit – it is just basic human behavior, but Instagram is definitely allowing a portal for pushing physical limits of safety.

3. The ‘Hard-at-work-but-not-really’ post

Part 1:  Line up your laptop with some staged accessories and a backdrop of nice scenery

Part 2:  Take photos of the scene and post with captions such as ‘Long day answering emails and enquiries today from my 5-star beachfront bungalow’ or ‘Hustling from my office’.

4. The ‘Kids in pristine clothes’ post

As a parent of two rambunctious and active boys, I love following other family blogs, family travel experts and parenting Instagram accounts.

But the accounts I cringe at the most are the ones with kids in pristine clothes ALL THE TIME.

I appreciate there are people who are brand ambassadors, however there are a lot of Instagram accounts for babies or young children that border on unrealistic goals to ‘be a star’.

Instagram feeds the insecurities and anxieties of parenthood and it can be unhealthy whereby parents feel their kids must be preened and polished so you appear to be doing a good job.

Adweek reported that 50% of people felt that by comparing their accomplishments to those of others on social media, their self-esteem has suffered.   I wonder how many parents miss out on true genuine moments of childhood because they’re trying to pose for that perfect photo?

I prefer family accounts that share some authenticity; honest parenting is about sharing the mud, ruffled hair, dirty shoes, bedroom chaos and daily adventures of having kids.

It’s not about lining your toddler up in white dungarees on 1000-thread count Egyptian bed linen from (insert brand) so your (insert brand) room bunting and (insert brand) throw cushions look fabulous, darling.

5. The ‘Product placement trying to be cool’ post

How many times do we need to see a luxury watch placed beside a steering wheel in a supercar or a bottle of Champagne?  Apparently, Instagram loves it so the repetitive posts continue!

6. Ice creams

I love ice cream!  But I don’t really need to see it all through my Instagram feed to prove you’ve been to Rome, St Paul de Vence or Paris.

7. Inspiring quotes

I’m a firm believer in motivation, enthusiasm and determination but there are some Instagram accounts who overdo it with the inspirational quotes.  To put it bluntly, they don’t post anything else.

I don’t hate inspirational quotes but if you need to post 20 a day to get across a notion of hard work and success, then that’s fine – just don’t shove it in my face.  Hitting the ‘Unfollow’ button has never been so easy!

Do you have any pet hates on Instagram?   Or do you agree with my Instagram clichés above?   Which posts on Instagram drive you nuts?

To follow Access Riviera on Instagram, head over to www.instagram.com/ariviera06 where posts feature the good, the bad and the ugly of life on the French Riviera; no responsibility taken if posts are guilty of some or all of these clichés.