The Psychology Behind Instagram Story Viewing: Why People Watch
Instagram stories have taken the whole platform by storm — With almost a million people across the globe using it on a daily basis.
No doubt, it is so addictive. And, why not? It is fun, easy to use — And after all it offers a smart way to connect with your friends and family.
But, all those benefits don’t necessarily mean that it is a good tool for you, or is it?
Well, you’re about to find out in this read. In this read, I’m going to walk you through the complete psychology behind Instagram stories. Also, learn about How to Add Multiple Photos to Instagram Story by reading this article.
Along with that If you ever want to watch someone’s Instagram story without them knowing, how can you do that with the help of Instagram Story Viewer by instanavigation?
But First, What Exactly is So Addictive About Instagram Stories?
From a psychological point of view, there are a variety of reasons why people may get addicted to Instagram stories.
And, probably one of the main reasons it does happen is a doom-scrolling impact. What it means is when people mindlessly scroll through their Instagram feeds, without giving it much thought.
Let’s draw a complete psychological picture of why Instagram stories are so addictive:
- Instagram stories are addictive because they make you feel like a protagonist of a wide story. It gives a sense of pleasure, appeals to the ego, and gives you a sense of belonging.
- Instagram stories offer you a complete escape from reality, which is basically not that interesting. Instead, it throws you into a world full of fantasy, where everything seems so perfect and beautiful.
- Another major reason why Instagram stories are so addictive is FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). They worry about what is happening in the lives of our loved ones or in general.
- Nowadays, most people have a sense of a low-self self-esteem or often feel disconnected from society. And, this is where Instagram stories offer a whole bunch of connection opportunities that add up to its addictiveness.
- When you scroll through the endless story feeds, your brain releases a high form of dopamine, which sometimes is equivalent to taking cocaine. This type of chemical reaction can lead to addiction.
Do You Know?
According to the latest statistics, Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users and the highest usage among people aged somewhere between 18 and 34, which means it is quite popular among the younger generation.
So, What Are Some Mental Health Impact of Instagram Stories?
Instagram stories are an intuitively designed aspect of the platform that offers a variety of quick interaction features with the user. And also the fact that you can see who viewed your story adds a little deeper layer of social interaction.
But, after all those striking features, it still gives you a false sense of reality and has some deep impact on your mental health. Here, take a look at some of the mental health impact of Instagram stories:
- Seeing only the highlights of your friends’ lives can trigger some anxiety and depressing emotions.
- The imagination has been enhanced in this digital world, where you can feel a strong pressure to look good on social media or even to portray a positive life.
- Social media addiction is often linked with low grades, sleep deprivation, and excess weight gain due to decreased social activity, Which can also lead to some mental health issues.
And, How to Break Your Instagram Addiction?
Social media platforms are often designed in a way to keep the users hooked with the platform — As long as they can.
This is why Instagram stories appear at the top of your feed, every time you open the app, and once you’re in the feed you end up scrolling through multiple stories. So, what’s the best you can do to break your Instagram addiction? Let’s find it out together!
- Be mindful of how much time you spend aimlessly scrolling on Instagram. Or set an app timer if you can to kill your app using time. It will automatically log you off from the platform, once the allotted time is up.
- Turn off the notification from Instagram, that way you won’t get distracted every time someone adds to their story or posts something.
- Detach yourself from social media and try going out in the open. Not only this will increase your social life but also boost your self-confidence to some extent.
- Find a hobby that requires some real-life interaction with the people around you. It can either be joining an exciting volunteer work or just a fun tennis club.
To Put It All Together
No doubt, that Instagram story is probably the most attractive feature of the platform that almost draws a perfect replication of a social experience. It lights up our brains as we get to know other people and the things around us with little or no effort.
However, the platform is designed by some really great psychological minds, which is why it often leads you to doom-scrolling. This is why it is also crucial to be mindful of some precise use of this application.
