Why I Stopped Using Hashtags on Instagram

I Finally Realized Why I Was Doing It

Photo by Jerin J on Unsplash

I wanted more people to see my pictures. Why?

My Instagram isn’t a personal brand or some call-to-action for a business. It’s just a well-curated compilation of things that I think are beautiful. Why would anyone else care? And why do I care if they do or not? I decided that I don’t.

What is a hashtag? Merriam-Webster defines a hashtag as:

a word or phrase preceded by the symbol # that classifies or categorizes the accompanying text (such as a tweet)

But why do I need to classify or categorize my photos on Instagram? Short answer: I don’t. Who am I to need to organize my photos for easier consumption by complete strangers? I am absolutely nobody. And I like it that way. So why did I ever use hashtags in the first place?

I just wanted people to like whatever I was putting out into the universe. But why? I literally use Instagram for myself. All the photos I post I want to look at again and again. I want to see them all curated together. I don’t know how I got into the mode of expectation-based posting.

And while I got wise to this during my self-exploration, I’m worried most people haven’t. When I see someone post a random selfie and then hashtag it #maninsuit…