Twitter can be a place of great conversations, witty jokes, and insightful comments. But in many cases, you can find yourself having an unpleasant experience on the platform.
When looking for possible alternatives, you might want to consider Instagram. And here are six reasons why.
1. While Twitter Conversations Are Fast, They Aren’t Always Informed
Twitter makes it as easy as possible to get your thoughts out on the internet, minimizing any obstacles in between.
While this can be great for realizing thoughts as and when they come, this can also encourage fast-paced conversations—often with the participants disregarding facts.
Since Twitter is so fast-paced, many users don't read a full article, watch an entire video or do thorough research. Instead, some people usually form their arguments around either headlines or other tweets.
This can lead to a spread of misinformation on Twitter, such as with the COVID-19 vaccine. Conversations on the platform can distort from being informed and constructive, and turn into rapid-fire exchanges in bad faith.
Instagram, of course, isn't devoid of misinformation. But because the pace of crafting and publishing content is slower than on Twitter, which encourages users to consider the substance of their posts.
On Instagram, you can find many helpful explainers for topics such as news, mental health, and networking. So, you can enjoy a healthier social media experience.
2. Twitter Encourages Doomscrolling
Have you ever found yourself scrolling through Twitter, constantly looking at depressing news? And yet, despite this, you're unable to stop? This is called doomscrolling, and is something that's all too easy to do on Twitter.
It's strange that human beings are drawn to negative headlines, but it's a phenomenon that news outlets love to exploit to gather traffic. And one look on Twitter's Explore tab shows that you'll find plenty of dystopian news present, as well as angry hashtags trending.
While it's understandable that people want to remain informed on current events and vent their frustrations too, it can be exhausting and detrimental to your mental health to read one negative tweet after another.
Again, Instagram isn't exempt from responsibility when it comes to poor mental health. But when using the platform, you're in more control when it comes to avoiding negative news headlines and topics.
Instagram's Explore section is filled with images as opposed to text, making it harder for you to engage in doomscrolling. And there's no dedicated section just to see trending hashtags—instead, you can choose to follow hashtags you're interested in.
3. Instagram Is Better for Content Creators and Their Fans
While Twitter can be neat for comedians looking to be witty, Instagram is a better platform for a wealth of content creators, such as musicians, artists, dancers, craftspeople, cooks, and many more.
This is because Instagram promotes showcasing your work with images and videos, giving current and potential fans an instant taste of what you do.
Although Instagram users can struggle with comparing themselves to other, the platform also allows them to engage with the wonderful art that people share online.
4. Instagram's Content Is Arguably More Diverse and Refreshing
Twitter's main focus is on what you write. While you can add photos, videos, and links, the primary reason that most people use the platform is to read tweets.
Instagram's focus, on the other hand, is on posting pictures and videos. Naturally, this introduces a huge range of diverse content.
Here you can view content in different styles, topics, themes, and more, with writing taking the form of accompanying captions or potentially in-depth descriptions.
Combine the different styles of photos and videos with the huge variety of users on Instagram, and you've got a social media experience that's both colorful and interesting.
With its more visual focus, Instagram can offer you a more refreshing and enriching experience than Twitter.
5. Instagram Is More Intimate Than Twitter
Instagram can open a window into people's lives and allow you to connect more with your favorite people. In the same way, it's also ideal if you feel like Twitter isn't really letting you post in the way you want to.
While you can post carefully-designed photos on Instagram, don't sweat if that isn't your thing. Instagram has become more inclusive of all kinds of content, as long as it's genuine. If you're a musician, for example, don't worry if you haven't got the best camera—as long as you're being yourself.
While you can post spontaneously, intimate thoughts on Twitter, its focus on written tweets might feel limiting to those with a more visual eye. Some users might also feel afraid to share their work in case they're met with heavy scrutiny.
6. Instagram Stories Instead of Fleets
In late 2020, Twitter rolled out its new feature—Fleets. Here, you could share a time-limited thought, picture, or video. Doesn't that sound familiar?
Fleets is essentially another version of Instagram Stories. If you're somewhat familiar with the Instagram equivalent, you'll realize that notable features are missing from Fleets—such as the ability to add effects, filters, and saving your Fleets to a highlights section.
Of course, Instagram wasn't the original creator of Stories. Snapchat had their own version before that. However, it has managed to come into its own and is regularly used. Fleets, on the other hand, is still in its early days. And it needs more work to become a Twitter staple.
Does Social Media Do More Harm Than Good?
While neither social media platform is perfect, Instagram arguably offers more productive and diverse content than Twitter that could make your social media experience a lot better.
That being said, using any social media site can lead to more harm than good. So, whether you stay on Twitter or move over to Instagram, make sure that you're prioritizing your mental (and physical) health.
It's also worth remembering that regardless of the platform you use, the people you follow can alter your experience one way or the other. If you find anyone being constantly negative, unfollow them.