Instagram and I, like perhaps most, share a love hate relationship.

I truly love photography, editing pictures, and planning my feed as much as the next basic bitch. I look at the wild world of Instagram as a creative outlet, a great way to be inspired, and a place to connect with people from around the world.

It pretty much allows absolutely anyone to feel like a model, too (again, good or bad? Perhaps both). I love that there is a community of people gassing others us for their style, beauty, recipes, lifestyles, and so much more.

So it’s fair to say that Insta is doing some really positive things. Yet, I can’t help but feel people living their lives for the soul purpose of posting about it is taking a toll on real life moments and can even cause serious damage. And here’s why.

#1 Faux Instagram Friends

Have you ever hung out with someone all of two times, you take a cute picture with this person and they post it on their social media captioning it “OMG me and my BFF, love you sis!”.

This happened to me recently on a trip I took to Cairns. This girl I probably had all of one conversation with in my group posted of us on her social media captioning it with how much she missed me and couldn’t wait to see me. Please.

This happens absolutely all the time on social media, and I wish it didn’t.

I actually find it flattering that she would put me on her social media. I know the photo went up because she looked beautiful in it, which makes sense because she’s like an 11/10.

Mostly, I completely understand the pressure all of us feel in presenting an online presence that shows our best selves.

But I think we’d live in a better world if we actually tried to make meaningful friendships, instead of creating a virtual space that makes it seem like we have a lot of friends.

#2 Concerts Photos Have Gone Too Far

If you’ve been to a concert in the past five years, I hope you share the freaking frustration of seeing people holding their phone recording basically the whole ass concert. Their phones can be directly in front of your face, and they physically don’t care.

Look we’ve all snapped a story or two at a gig, but don’t let that take away from the obnoxious (in the best way) dancing, singing and straight up living you could be doing instead.

Take photos before the concert, be mindful of the people around you trying to watch the musicians and graphics on the stage, and remember no one on your snap chat is actually paying attention to your 30 stories from the same angle of Drake running around on stage.

#3 Instagram’s Environmental Impact

In Southern California, Instagram photos are taking a serious toll on the amazing Super Bloom.

The Super Bloom is like Influencer porn, and I completely get it. The scenic site basically screams “take Instagram pictures in me plz.”

Instead of following the trails and signs posted stating “Do Not Walk on the Poppies”, people are crossing over the ropes, taking their photographer with them and damaging the delicate flowers.

By posting Super Bloom pictures on Instagram, you are only encouraging more and more people to the same. This doesn’t happen only happen in California, so as a rule of thumb follow trail guidelines before taking your next Insta photo.

#4 Revenge Porn

Revenge porn is unreasonably common, and it absolutely needs to stop.

This occurs when an explicit image of an ex-partner is posted to social media without their consent. In Australia, this effects 1 in 10 people. Not only does revenge porn harm the person posting the photo, but the content of the photo seriously damages the life of the person who’s in it.

#5 Selfie Deaths

This one seems like common sense, but we all need to leave dangerous selfies in the past.

People are really out here taking bikini pictures in freezing temperatures or standing on the side of cliffs for the sake of an Instagramable photo. Stats show over 200 people have died taking dangerous selfies. Seriously insane.

If you haven’t heard, Australia’s famous Wedding Cake Rock located in Royal National Park is fenced because it’s seriously dangerous. The fence reaches 1.6 meters and is covered in signs regarding serious trespassing fines. Yet, this does not seem to stop people from getting a danger-worthy pic.

When looking up #weddingcakerock on Instragram, there are 27.8k posts. Many of which show people standing on the rock, dangling their feet off of it, or even hanging off the side of the rock. Come on kids, let’s not get all parental.

I can’t imagine risking paying a fine and potentially costing my life for an Instagram photo. Yet people are out here all the time risking their lives for Instagram.