Instagram: Take It or Leave It, or Something In-Between

   Some people put a lot of time and thought into how they utilize the Instagram app. For others, it’s less than essential.

   Social media is often used by young people as a means of comparison against their peers, said Jacqueline Nesi, a social, clinical, and developmental psychology researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They use it as a way to assess the popularity and coolness of others, and see how their own online presence measures up.

   Olivia Baratta, a freshman at Michigan State University, said she deleted Instagram and all other social media platforms after the constant comparison grew to be too much.

   “It’s not gonna fill you up…and it made me feel worse about myself like nine times out of ten,” said Baratta.


   For MSU sophomore Gideon Bush, it’s more of a matter of indifference. He checks Instagram every once in a while, he said, but prefers Twitter to check in on sports and see what his friends are up to.

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