7 things you need to know as a boomer on Instagram
Before you think: ‘oh, this is another introduction on how best to use the app’ - wrong. You see, there are SO many things on Instagram that people don't know. And then those people are mostly - sorry - boomers. Those little, handy facts that you really should have known earlier and that make your life a lot easier. No “like a Story via this button”, but if you do want that explanation click here. I will share with you all the secrets for boomers about the app: Here are 7 things your kids didn't tell you about Instagram.
1. Don't like just anything
Did you know that on Instagram, you can see when someone has liked something? Often people don't know that if they like an Instagram Reel, others can also see when that same video passes by them. The reason I wanted to write about Instagram for boomers? Because yesterday I saw a well-known actor liking a rather spicy video. He was probably unaware that people can just see that. So don't just like everything you see and be aware that people are watching. Literally. Now, do you like that spicy content? then you better read a fun story like this one.
2. Stories on Instagram
OK, just a crash course in Stories. What should and should not you do? Posting the occasional cute photo of how your day is going is totally fine. Just keep doing it. And occasionally add a piece of text about how you are and what you did -also fun. What you better not do: post thirty Stories a day of your holidays. You don't want to flood your followers with how nice you are sitting there on the beach while they are hanging out on the couch.
Also know that you can hide your Stories from some people. Are you relaxing at the beach, but told your boss that unfortunately you couldn't come to the office because you were sick? Then, of course, it is not convenient to let all your colleagues into your story.
3. Search history, this you need to know
Excuse me, but it's nobody's business who you looked up on Instagram yesterday, right? It sometimes happens that people want to exchange each other's Instagram and then they look up their names in your phone. And yes, under the search bar are all the names you have looked up in the past few days. Avoiding an awkward moment - ”omg how do you know .....(your ex)”-? Very simple: click on the right on the little cross next to the username and it's gone. No one can see who you have been stalking for the past few days.
4. Dm requests, the secret for boomers
Ugh, a secret folder. I have to be honest, I rarely look in here and often forget it exists. But so there is a folder of DMs (those messages via Instagram, you know) from people who have sent you a message, but whom you don't follow.
These are message requests. Often this folder is full of secret admirers or people you know via via. Sometimes spam too, but that's part of it. Just checking it once in a while can't hurt.
5. Oops, liked, the biggest mistake (only for boomers)
We all do it at one time or another. You want to catch up with your friend about that cute new guy who joined you. Suddenly, you're deep in the archives of his Instagram and come across a photo of him in Bali in 2017 (Speaking of Bali, these things are fun to do there). And then it happens. Your girlfriend yells, “Oeeeeh, let's see!” She pulls your phone out of your hands and... oops, double-clicks. Like. PANIC!
What next? You can take the liking away again, yes. But the harm has been done. He got a notification. Awkward.
How do we avoid this situation? What many people don't know: if you turn on aeroplane mode before you start deep-scrolling, you avoid this horror. You load the profile first, then switch to aeroplane mode and then feel free to browse.
6. Into the trash with it? All about your Instagram feed.
Still don't like how a photo fits into your feed? And would you like to see what your Instagram looks like without that particular post? You don't have to delete a photo right away if you don't want it on your account for a while.
What to do. Easy: click on those three dots at the top of your photo and choose ‘Archive’. Now you place the photo in your archive, visible only to you. At any time, you can put it back again. No likes lost, so don't panic.
7. Hiding your likes on Instagram
Sometimes you post something you are actually quite proud of and then it stays quiet. A handful of likes, all from family. You think: did no one see this, or is it just not liked enough? Not necessarily the feeling you were waiting for.
What you can do: you can choose to hide the total number of likes. No one needs to see that only your daughter and your favourite colleague have liked this post.
You do this by indicating in the advanced settings, even before posting, that you want to hide the number of likes. Your followers will then not be able to see how many likes your photo has received. This saves them from having to check time and again whether they have already received ten or only nine likes.
