Okay, so I’ve been noticing this trend lately, especially on Instagram, where it seems like everyone is making their accounts private. I was like, “What’s the deal?” So, I did a little digging and, well, experimented a bit myself.
My Little Experiment
First, I just started observing. I scrolled through my feed and paid attention to who was private and who wasn’t. I noticed a lot of my friends, especially the ones who are a bit more, let’s say, “selective” about who they interact with, had gone private. And it wasn’t just them – even some bigger accounts, like influencers I follow, were private too.
Then, I asked around. I DM’d a few of my friends who had made the switch. The answers I got were pretty similar:
- “Too many weirdos.” This was a big one. People were getting tired of random strangers liking their stuff or, worse, leaving creepy comments.
- “Controlling who sees my stuff.” Some folks just wanted more control over their audience. They didn’t want their boss or their grandma seeing everything they posted.
- “Keeps it more personal.” Making it private, it became less about showing off, and more focused on the person’s close friends.
- “Less spam.” Apparently, going private cuts down on the spam bots and fake accounts.
Trying it Out Myself
So, I decided to try it. I switched my own account to private for a week. Here’s what I experienced:
- Fewer random likes. Definitely noticed a drop in likes from people I didn’t know.
- More engagement from my actual friends. It felt like the people who were already following me were more likely to comment and interact.
- A feeling of, well, privacy. It was kinda nice knowing that not just anyone could see my posts.
The Verdict?
After my week-long experiment, I understood the appeal. It’s not for everyone, and I eventually switched back to public because I like sharing some of my stuff more widely. But for people who want more control and a more intimate online experience, going private makes total sense. It’s all about what you want from your social media, I guess.