Facebook-owned Instagram was down today for some users across several cities, including London, San Francisco and Singapore. Here, in India as well, many users could not access the service as they were faced with the error, "5XX Server error" and the app displayed the message "could not refresh feed."
However, Instagram was up and running pretty soon, so you can stop biting your nails in sheer anxiety and restlessness. (Social media addiction is a real thing).
They were happy that they could get back to scrolling their news feed endlessly and looking at pictures of dogs, food, dream vacations and incredibly beautiful (photo-shopped) models. Because that’s how addicted we are to social media.
You might think that giving up smoking or alcohol would be difficult but the truth is, giving up social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Tinder) is equally stressful.
For example, a study by researchers from the University of Chicago found that drugs like alcohol and tobacco could not keep up with social networking sites regarding their level of addictiveness. In 2014, Facebook went down for about 30 minutes, prompting several users to call the emergency helpline, 911.
The human brain itself does not have an idea of how dependent it is on these platforms that quitting them might actually force us to relearn how to live our lives, offline. Not to forget, the case of FOMO (fear of missing out).
But spending more time offline, can actually be better for our mind, body and soul. Here are some benefits of a digital detox:
1. For starters, it breaks the social comparison cycle. Scientists have discovered that most people who use social media end up comparing themselves to the lives of everyone they know, which in turn has a serious impact on your self-esteem.
2. Once you stop comparing yourself to others, you stop feeling so competitive. Being competitive isn’t a bad thing, but if it causes you serious anxiety and depression, it’s not worth it.
3. Additionally, when social media isn’t harming your sanity, your overall mood changes and you feel much more content and relaxed.
4. You actually reconnect with the real world, have one-on-one conversations with more people, and aren’t an anti-social person.
5. You also live in the moment with your friends and family and also gain a lot of free time. This time can be utilized for doing household chores or simply exercising.
In just 12 hours, you will begin to feel better and rejuvenated. So in the end, having Instagram down for a few hours wasn’t so bad.
In other news, Instagram is working now.
