instagram black holes - what ones have you gone down?

[Anonymous]

I recently got very sucked into the world of instagram infertility accounts. I went through infertility (prior to this world existing I think) and feel for these women and in some ways found some closure for my own feelings about it through reading their experiences. But its such a strange world....the getting sucked into their transfer results, the way they all (they all = the influencers with thousands of followers, i'm sure there are more normal small accounts post the same dramatic very performative feeling way with crying picture when a transfer fails (which is an AWFUL experience...i'm just commenting on the strange wording / structure similarity in all their posts on it), the letter boards, the teaser posts about what's next, the way the pretty white girls were the ones that became popular, the finally getting pregnant, the hand wringing posts about how they still fit into "the community" etc. I finally deleted them all because I realized it wasn't healthy for me to be so deep in these strangers lives and I was more judging the performative nature of the influencers than cheering them on.

I'm curious what ones others have fallen into. I do think instagram can have value, when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness I got useful info, I get inspired following some family travel accounts, and I love looking at pictures of far flung places....but it can also just be such strange subcultures

[Anonymous]

I make it a point to avoid people specific Instagram accounts. I look at gardening and decorating and that is all.

[Anonymous]

I once spent like two hours watching Sidney Morss. Does that count?

[Anonymous]

Videos/reels/posts of people making rather elaborate and fancy sandwiches.

[Anonymous]

OP, do you think that these instagram influencers actually experienced infertility, or they are more like, erm...self-employed actresses who found a niche performance market?

[Anonymous]

Taylor Swift. I was looking for tickets and then Instagram seemed to know and now they send me every Taylor video it seems

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you think that these instagram influencers actually experienced infertility, or they are more like, erm...self-employed actresses who found a niche performance market?

When someone with a lot of followers/attention is caught faking a diagnosis, the drama that results from the reveal is always so juicy and insane. So who knows, OP may have found a second layer to the “infertility influencer” rabbit hole!

[Anonymous]

Cake and cookie decorating videos is one positive one.

I used to follow a lot of fitness accounts but realized it wasn’t helping with my body image struggles so I quit them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently got very sucked into the world of instagram infertility accounts. I went through infertility (prior to this world existing I think) and feel for these women and in some ways found some closure for my own feelings about it through reading their experiences. But its such a strange world....the getting sucked into their transfer results, the way they all (they all = the influencers with thousands of followers, i'm sure there are more normal small accounts post the same dramatic very performative feeling way with crying picture when a transfer fails (which is an AWFUL experience...i'm just commenting on the strange wording / structure similarity in all their posts on it), the letter boards, the teaser posts about what's next, the way the pretty white girls were the ones that became popular, the finally getting pregnant, the hand wringing posts about how they still fit into "the community" etc. I finally deleted them all because I realized it wasn't healthy for me to be so deep in these strangers lives and I was more judging the performative nature of the influencers than cheering them on.

I'm curious what ones others have fallen into. I do think instagram can have value, when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness I got useful info, I get inspired following some family travel accounts, and I love looking at pictures of far flung places....but it can also just be such strange subcultures

Instagram was targeting me with a lot of posts about infertility and worse, childhood illness. I was able to select an option to not see content like that. I’m aware of that suffering and it doesn’t help me to be more anxious about it.

[Anonymous]

The main blackhole I go down (and that has the worse impact on me) is looking up a former friend who was really mean to me, and then all her friends and family, I guess so I can feel bad about myself? Since of course people mostly just post the best stuff on social media so of course I wind up seeing just her happiest moments and biggest victories.

It's stupid and I hate that I do it and wish I could stop. It would make me SO happy if she'd just set her account to private so I couldn't look anymore. I know I'm weak for not being able to look away, but even when I avoid it for months and months, I always eventually give in, and I always regret it.

[Anonymous]

I have 2 kids, so we are a family of 4. I cook a lot and I spend, what I consider, way too much time planning, shopping, and cooking foods. Eating out is expensive and my kids can help, but they're so busy it's hard. My dh helps too, but isn't great in the kitchen, so he can put together a dish if I give him all the steps and ideas and so I'm still driving it all.

Long story long...I find families that cook for 10-12 kids FASCINATING, I go down that Instagram black hole here and there. The moms must not work because they look like they are prepping and making food almost constantly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 2 kids, so we are a family of 4. I cook a lot and I spend, what I consider, way too much time planning, shopping, and cooking foods. Eating out is expensive and my kids can help, but they're so busy it's hard. My dh helps too, but isn't great in the kitchen, so he can put together a dish if I give him all the steps and ideas and so I'm still driving it all.

Long story long...I find families that cook for 10-12 kids FASCINATING, I go down that Instagram black hole here and there. The moms must not work because they look like they are prepping and making food almost constantly.

My parents grew up in large extended families and yes, cooking, prepping, cleaning up took up a massive part of the women’s days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 2 kids, so we are a family of 4. I cook a lot and I spend, what I consider, way too much time planning, shopping, and cooking foods. Eating out is expensive and my kids can help, but they're so busy it's hard. My dh helps too, but isn't great in the kitchen, so he can put together a dish if I give him all the steps and ideas and so I'm still driving it all.

Long story long...I find families that cook for 10-12 kids FASCINATING, I go down that Instagram black hole here and there. The moms must not work because they look like they are prepping and making food almost constantly.

I haven't gone down a black hole with them necessarily, but I watch them whenever they pop up in my FB reels, which is often because I watch them so FB shows me more. I find them fascinating, too.

[Anonymous]

This is pretty crazy but I follow lots and lots of Mrs pageantry accounts. Lots to dislike there, but I'm obsessed with the dresses, lol.

[Anonymous]

Farrier IG content. That is, people who trim horse, cow, and mule hooves along with medical repair of damaged hooves and horse shoe replacement.

It’s a weird niche of the algo.