Why Instagram Users Are So Addicted To Watching Their Own Stories
Image via PixieMe / Shutterstock.com
Instagram posts are usually heavily manicured, which is why the stories feature is so appealing. Users are given more freedom without having to “edit” their lives as much, and the fact that Instagram stories only last for 24 hours helps to take away feelings of self-absorption.
Weirdly enough, the option of uploading fleeting posts comes with its own form of curation. Many Instagrammers find themselves viewing their own stories over and over again, even if their faces aren’t in them.
There are a few theories as to why people keep monitoring their Instagram stories. Curious about the phenomenon herself, Mashable’s Chloe Bryan reached out to social science experts to weigh in on this behavior.
Dr Allison Forti, an assistant professor of counseling at Wake Forest University, said the instinct to rewatch your own temporary stories could be explained by the “looking glass self” theory, a psychological concept that suggests people attain a sense of self by gauging how others perceive them.
Dr Forti described, “For example, if they watch a story where they determine they look good… and others would probably rate them positively, they might repeatedly view that story to reinforce a positive aspect of their identity.” This confidence boost might make the uploader feel valued and worthy, she added.
Dr Kent Bausman, a professor from Maryville University’s Online Sociology program, brings up a renowned concept by 20th-century sociologist Erving Goffman called dramaturgy. In essence, Goffman illustrated everyday life as a theater, and that life, the self, and social interaction are actors performing on a stage.
The theory, derived from William Shakespeare’s famous “all the world’s a stage” quote, depicts the way people present themselves to the world as the front stage performance. Backstage is where the self processes what has transpired during the performance; this self-reflection can take place either when the performer is isolated or in front of another audience.
Dr Bausman imagines Instagram stories as a manifestation of backstage characteristics—they’re more authentic and less formal, “a way for me to reflect again on the presentation of myself in the virtual world.”
But is repeatedly watching your Instagram stories unhealthy? It actually depends. Dr Forti recommends practicing self-compassion when viewing your own stories, rather than using the feature as a tool to artificially boost the ego.
Dr Forti said you can make the habit a positive one by “directing compassion toward yourself” when faced with what you might perceive as “shortcomings or failures.”
Aside from reviewing your Instagram stories, you can foster self-compassion through meditation and journaling.
[via Mashable, cover image via PixieMe / Shutterstock.com]
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