The photo above was the last one I posted on Instagram a couple of days ago before disabling my account today. The accompanying text for the photo was a bit from a NY Times article about how much social media has been monetised to the extent that by just signing up, someone profits, BUT IT’S NOT YOU.

I create content for a living, so to do all this for free is bullshit; and ‘all this’ is; tens of thousands of dollars of tech equipment, at least 6 accounted hours every week on the app; unaccounted hours spent looking, taking and processing image for posting. Is it everyone’s dream to become an influencer? To be that uhm, viral sensation? Sure- but we’re also happy to just be ordinary, posters of our cats, our lunches and our non-designer branded shoes. But it just bugs me that there is an underbelly to all this; why can’t we simply share without it being a hidden transaction that is one-sided?

So goodbye Instagram. Here’s to putting those hours to better use- for my own benefit.