Michael's review of Instagram

Date last edited: 11-22-2024 at 10:45AM

   
Rating: Teen

Review:
Title: Instagram
Developer: Meta Platforms, Inc.
Platform: iOS, Android, Web
Genre: Social Media
Rating: 12+
USCCB Rating: N/A
My Rating: 2.5 stars
Primary Audience: Teenagers and Adults
Year of Release: 2010


Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms, profoundly influencing how we share our lives and interact with others. However, as a Catholic, I cannot ignore how this platform often conflicts with the virtues and truths Catholics are called to live by. While Instagram has the potential to be used for good, it frequently promotes values and habits that lead us away from God’s purpose for our lives. In this essay, I will explore how Instagram’s influence can often be more harmful than helpful in many aspects of our lives through the lens of the Seven Media Keys.



The First Media Key: Balance

The virtue of temperance is key to understanding the concept of balance in media. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the virtue of temperance as, “The moral virtue that moderates the attraction to the pleasures and provides a balance for the use of created goods. This virtue makes certain that our will overcomes our desires and appetites.” (CCC 1809). Instagram, unfortunately, undermines this balance. Its endless scroll and addictive short-form content called “reels” are designed to keep its users engaged far longer than usually intended. This draws us away from more important things like spending time with family, friends, and maintaining our responsibilities. Instead of promoting temperance, Instagram often encourages overindulgence, leading us to neglect the things that truly matter. For Catholics striving to live ordered and virtuous lives, this imbalance presents a serious spiritual challenge.



The Second Media Key: Attitude Awareness

To apply the media key of attitude awareness, one must pray for the virtue of prudence, which as Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “This is the virtue that disposes practical reason to choose the genuine Good in every situation and the right means for achieving it. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience.”(CCC 1806). To live a virtuous life, we must cultivate the virtue of prudence, which St. Thomas Aquinas describes as “right reason in action.” However, Instagram often promotes a distorted view of life that undermines prudence. The program is designed to encourage users to post the best part of their lives, often creating a “highlight reel” that distorts reality. By encouraging users to post only their best moments, Instagram creates an environment where appearances take precedence over authenticity. This “highlight reel” culture fosters envy and insecurity, leading users to compare themselves to unrealistic portrayals of success and beauty.



The Third Media Key: Dignity of the Human Person

In order to apply the Third Media Key, one must pray for the virtue of justice, which as the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor.”(CCC 1807). As a Catholic, I believe every human being is created in the image and likeness of God and possess inherent dignity. While Instagram has the potential to uplift and celebrate this dignity, it often does the opposite. Filters and editing tools encourage users to conform to beauty standards, reducing self-worth to appearances. Rather than promoting respect for the whole person, Instagram users often focus on likes and followers as a determination for their worth. This is a great injustice that is done to the users of this platform, and is a tragic failure in upholding the dignity of the human person.



The Fourth Media Key: Truth Filled

The first step in applying the Fourth Media Key is praying for the virtue of fortitude. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that fortitude is “the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life.”(CCC 1808) Sadly, Instagram often causes the opposite to grow in us. Influencers and brands frequently portray success and happiness as rooted in material wealth and appearances, undermining the Catholic understanding of joy as living in God’s grace. Instagram makes living out fortitude challenging by encouraging users to conform to these false ideals, which discourages them from resisting temptations and remaining firm in difficulties. The platform’s emphasis on external validation and worldly success creates constant obstacles to pursuing true joy and happiness that can only be found in living in the grace of God.



The Fifth Media Key: Inspiring

The first step in applying the fifth media key is praying for the theological virtue of hope. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains hope as “the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.”(CCC 1817) While Instagram has the potential to inspire hope, it often falls short. The platform’s focus on perfection and materialism fosters a culture of comparison, leading users to pursue fleeting trends or superficial goals. True inspiration should call us to reflect on the beauty of God’s creation. Instagram, however, rarely encourages users to look beyond themselves, only offering temporary motivation rather than a deeper inspiration that instills hope into our hearts.



The Sixth Media Key: Skillfully Developed

Applying the Sixth Media Key requires one to pray for the virtue of faith; “Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us.”(CCC 1814) The Catholic Church teaches that skillful work should serve the common good and glorify God. While Instagram is undeniably skillfully designed, its purpose is often profit-driven rather than morally driven. Its algorithms prioritize engagement over well-being, promoting content that invokes strong emotional reactions. This design encourages polarization and unhealthy habits rather than fostering virtue and unity. From a Catholic perspective, skillful development in media should aim to build up the human person and reflect the true, the good, and the beautiful. Instagram’s design too often falls short of this standard.



The Seventh Media Key: Motivated by and Relevant to Experience

The Seventh Media Key calls us to pray for the virtue of charity, which is “the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God” (CCC 1822). Charity invites us to build authentic, selfless relationships that reflect God’s love. While Instagram claims to connect people, it often promotes idealized versions of life, encouraging self-promotion and envy rather than genuine connection. This focus on external validation undermines charity, which values people for their inherent dignity, not their fabricated image. To truly reflect charity, media must foster ways to build authentic relationships through giving the users the ability to love others in selfless ways. Although Instagram has the potential to accomplish this, the design of the program does not make it easy.



In conclusion, when we look at Instagram through the Seven Media Keys, we see that it often leads us away from becoming to most virtuous versions of ourselves. While Instagram is well-designed, it encourages comparison, superficiality, and the pursuit of material success, which goes against the virtues we are called to live by. Though I come from a Catholic background, I believe many of us can agree that social media should help us grow, build meaningful relationships, and encourage positive values. Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t always foster these things. It’s important for all of us to be mindful of how we engage with the platform, to remember what is truly valuable in life, and to seek deeper, more authentic connections. By doing so, we can use social media in a way that enriches our lives and reflects the love and truth we all seek.



Seven Keys:
Balanced:
Attitude:
Personal:
Truth-filled:
Inspired:
Skillfully Made:
Experienced:

Overall Rating: 14/35

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