You are allowed to upload whatever you want to Instagram (within its terms of service, of course). However you should also know that if you abuse the app, there could be an immense amount of eye rolling, post skipping, and varying levels of irritation caused by your photos.
We all know what those things are, so if you want to avoid being that person on Instagram or simply join in our trashing of those guilty parties – read on. Because these are the most annoying things you can do on Instagram for which there is no excuse.
1. Posting a #ThrowbackThursday or #tbt photo…from last week
Any Instagram aficionado knows what these hashtags mean, but not everyone is aware that this meme has evolved into a weekly photography upload game that sort of has stringent rules:
The idea of a “throwback” pertains to an ode to your yesteryears, back when you were still in diapers and unable to talk without drooling, back when you played outdoors instead of on your phone or Xbox, back when shoulder pads and wearing Birkenstocks with socks made sense – that obviously does not cover photo coverage of events that happened this year, let alone last week. A photo from a year ago may be acceptable for the more tolerant of Instagram watchers, but when it comes to #tbt, the older the photo, the better.
2. Lying about using #nofilter
Don’t be a scumbag by lying about not using any of Instagram’s filters because there are lots of ways of exposing you for the filter faker that you are. In fact, if you use viewers like Webstagram, you can pretty much know at first glance what filter the user applied to his or her photo because it says right on there in plain sight.
Webstagram:
Word to the wise: If you are going to lie, don’t use Toaster… you’re better than that. Seriously, could you be more obvious? Oh yes, you could: Kelvin (*shudders*).
3. Using other filter apps outside Instagram
Really? You’re that desperate to claim #nofilter on a vignetted photo of you with an afternoon sunset in the background? Because yes, by doing that you escape Webstagram’s filter detection function, but please… it doesn’t take an artistic eye to know which photos are taken on the fly and which ones went through post-processing. If you really have to scratch that itch to beautify that bland photo of your plate of spaghetti, then at the very least, admit to using whatever filter app it is you’re using. Instagram should ideally be a community of members on the same playing field of available filters and camera phone limitations, not a competition of Which Person Has The Best Photo Editing App, or Who Can Photoshop And Download Their Photo Onto Their Phone The Fastest.
4. All selfies, all the freaking time
We’re totally aware that the selfie craze is taking over the art of photography by storm, and we’re OK with it. Really. What takes it to a whole new level of “oh, c’mon!” is the fact that some people take more than one selfie… in a span of mere minutes, dominating your already-narrowed-to-one-image-at-a-time feed. At that point you’re just being selfish over air-time, kids. Please have some respect and make way for the scenery shots, the coffee art, and pet pics. The only time this behavior is excusable is if you have a username like SelfieSophie or NuthinButMe or something that explicitly proclaims your love of self photography – in that case, the fault is on the follower, not the followee.
With that, let’s celebrate this guy, who is one of the very few exceptions to the rule.
5. Overhashtagging
Because it’s ultimately unnecessary – what’s the point of gaining ♥ from people you will never speak to under normal circumstances, anyway? Also, it’s an eyesore. Do we have to keep telling you again and again?
6. Being desperate
Seriously, seeing a post littered with pleas like “#Like4likes,” hashtags and “I follow back!” notes just bum everybody out. Can’t you get your own friends? Just act like a human and start following, liking, and commenting on photos that you oh I don’t know actually like. Crazy things can happen.
