Why Does Posting On Instagram Evoke Existential Dread?

Snap, edit, publish, rinse, repeat. The feelings you get from sending your content into the digiverse void is a mixed bag – a quick dopamine rush followed by an inevitable crash, typically varying in intensity based on how much engagement you’ll get in the first hour. A girlfriend once told me, “I have to physically put my phone down as soon as I hit post – otherwise I just cannot do it, I feel gross.” We both laugh at the absurdity of what the process of posting has come to. Even if we admit we probably shouldn’t worry about something so trivial and banal, we’re comforted by the fact we collectively – albeit secretly – still do.

Avoiding social media in 2024 is no different than avoiding corporate drinks. You’re free to choose whether or not to participate, but in case you do abstain, you’re willingly saying goodbye to unspoken prospects: new opportunities, inside jokes, and climbing up the career ladder. Why would you willingly deprive yourself of something everyone in your circle is actively partaking in? Nobody likes to miss out on things. So we continue on posting: sometimes with joy, and other times with disgust. But wait, why are we disgusted in the first place? Here’s my take.