Social media seems to have become the staple part of every millennial’s life in recent years. Whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok, everyone has taken to socials as if it’s a human requirement. Recently it has been very easy to fall out of love with social media and the darkness it can bring, but the best thing we can do as consumers is take control, and streamline our social media to make it a more positive place for ourselves. If you find yourself coming away from a thirty-minute scrolling session on Instagram feeling deflated, insecure, and frustrated that you do not look like that person in the photo, then I urge you to have a purge of your social media, and streamline it into a platform that is going to uplift you, make you laugh, and ultimately provide you with a much more positive experience.
Your social media news feed does not need to add any extra pressure or negativity into your life, so unfollow anyone who (maybe through no fault of their own) encourages this. Here are some suggestions of people to follow to bring a bit more positivity back to the ‘gram.
Chessie King – @chessiekingg on Instagram
I started following Chessie on Instagram a couple of years ago, and since then her popularity on the platform has grown immensely, but her content has remained positive, uplifting and inspiring. Chessie’s content is unapologetically honest and open, and if the videos of her dancing around in her underwear singing ‘I don’t care what you think about me’ don’t promote confidence, then I honestly don’t know what will. Hailed as the ‘big sister’ of Instagram, a scroll through Chessie’s feed is likely to make you look at and appreciate your body and its capabilities in a completely new way, and the messages she promotes are so inspiring and important for the young generation.
James Smith – @jamessmithpt
I’m not entirely sure how I came across James on Instagram, I think someone I follow reposted one of his brutally honest videos on their story, and as someone who enjoys blunt conversation, I pressed the follow button. James is a personal trainer turned author, and his main purpose on Instagram, from what I can tell, is to debunk many of the myths that emerge from diet culture on social media. He has been nicknamed the ‘Gordon Ramsay’ of fitness; with his strong language and blunt repartee in his videos perhaps not being everyone’s cup of tea, he has a no-BS approach to health and fitness, and his content reflects this. This account may not be for everyone, but if you are interested in health and fitness, and like honest and outspoken people who are not trying to benefit from their platform, but just help people, then James is a great place to start.
Matt Haig – @matthaig1 on Twitter and @mattzhaig on Instagram
Matt is all about mental wellbeing and speaking out. His feed is full of inspirational, thought provoking and humorous words and pictures, and would certainly be a great addition to your timeline. As well as his posts on social media, Matt has written multiple successful books, fiction and non-fiction, to help navigate a world which can sometimes be so cruel. If you are going through a rough time and find presence on social media helpful, then Matt is one to follow, and of course make sure you talk to someone you can trust and feel comfortable with!
I Weigh campaign – @i_weigh on Twitter and Instagram
‘I Weigh’ is a community and movement set up by Jameela Jamil, the queen of saying it how it is on social media. They are self-claimed to ‘amplify, advocate, and pass the mic…so that no one feels alone’, and the diversity that they promote on their platforms is a force to be reckoned with. It truly is a community that people can feel welcomed into, and the impact it is having on social media is very important.
Celeste Barber – @celestebarber on Instagram.
Celeste’s page will make you laugh out loud whilst you are scrolling on the bus. She is an Australian comedian who has just raised an incredible $50million AUD for the bushfire crisis, exemplifying just how powerful social media can be when people come together. Her main job, however, is making people laugh, and she does this on her Instagram effortlessly. Whether it is the captions on her usual posts or her viral ‘Celeste Challenge’, where she recreates popular celebrity photographs, reminding us to love our bodies and pointing out how ridiculous the things we see on social media are sometimes, it’s tough to explain just how amazing these posts are, and accounts like Celeste’s are what makes social media bearable.
If you are thinking that no number of ‘inspirational’ accounts on social media are going to make your relationship with it better, let’s remember that social media is not our life. It does not make you any less of a being to not engage with it or be present on this virtual world. By all means take a break for the weekend, I assure you that you will not miss out on anything, and when you get back to it, either fortunately or unfortunately, nothing will have changed. These account suggestions are just a way to make it a better place for you, but if it is a damaging place for you personally then there is nothing wrong with cutting it out entirely. As Matt Haig says – ‘Look up to the sky. Not just down to your phone. Remember to be alive.’
Image credits: TaylorHerring via Flickr