More than 50 billion photos have been uploaded to Instagram since its launch in 2010. Today, around 995 photos are uploaded every second and the number of Instagram users continues to grow. The figure is expected to hit over 900 million by the end of 2021, around three times the total population of the US.
Yet, for all of its success and popularity, much of Instagram’s appeal rests in our ability to socialise. Pre-covid, Instagram acted as a visual representation of the best parts of our lives. Photos and videos captured our social activities, trips and experiences, and snapshots of the things that bring us joy. But what happens when your life is constricted to the four walls of your bedroom, the only trips you take are to the kitchen and anything in nearby proximity that once brought you joy, has become an irritating reminder of the claustrophobia of lockdown life. What do you post then?
So is Instagram dead, or at least dormant? With nothing to post, brands and influencers seem to be taking over the app with content marketing, as the rest of us wait for the shackles to come off and freedom to arrive with the spring and summer sun. The dilemma, however, is this: whilst we have nothing to post, we also have nothing to do. Nothing that is, except endlessly scroll through social media.
