Why I Unfollowed Everyone On Instagram (And Why YOU SHOULD TOO)

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares his experience of reducing his Instagram following to zero, sparking a backlash from his network. He explains his reasons, emphasizing the desire to control social media rather than being controlled by it. He also addresses the curated reality of social media, advocating for authenticity and focusing on personal growth and goals. The speaker encourages viewers to critically evaluate their social media usage, suggesting a reduction in the number of followed accounts to stay focused on personal values and aspirations.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker reduced their Instagram following to zero to take control of their social media experience and avoid being used by it.
• 👥 There was a mixed response from friends and followers, with some entrepreneurs expressing concern about the impact on the speaker's brand.
• 📉 The speaker acknowledges that reducing following can be seen as bad for brand visibility but believes in the importance of personal control over social media.
• 🚀 The speaker emphasizes the desire to use social media to build businesses, connect with people, and stay in touch with friends, rather than being controlled by it.
• 🎨 The script highlights the curated nature of social media content, with many people only showing the highlights of their lives, not the reality.
• 🌞 The speaker tries to be transparent about the hard work and sacrifices behind their seemingly perfect social media portrayal.
• 🕒 The importance of waking up early, working hard, and the commitment to one's craft is underscored as part of achieving success.
• 🤔 The speaker questions the authenticity of social media portrayals and encourages viewers to consider whether they are being genuine or manipulative.
• 🧘 The need for staying in one's own lane and focusing on personal goals rather than getting distracted by others' social media content is discussed.
• 📚 The speaker mentions the book 'Relentless' by Tim Grover and the concept of narrowing one's circle as one becomes more successful.
• 🔄 The suggestion to cut down the number of people followed on social media to focus on those who resonate and provide value is made.

Q & A

Why did the speaker unfollow everyone on Instagram?

The speaker unfollowed everyone on Instagram to avoid being controlled by social media and to use it on their own terms. They wanted to focus on their goals and not be influenced by others' highlights and content.

What was the initial reaction from the speaker's friends and followers to the unfollowing?

The initial reaction included mixed responses and backlash, especially from friends and business connections who were curious or concerned about the impact on the speaker's brand and connectivity.

How does the speaker view the role of social media in their life?

The speaker views social media as a tool to build businesses, connect with people, and maintain relationships, but they are cautious not to let it control them.

What is the speaker's perspective on the authenticity of social media?

The speaker believes that social media often presents a distorted view of reality, showing highlights and manipulated content that can make others feel inadequate.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of 'staying in your own lane'?

The speaker emphasizes staying in your own lane to avoid being distracted or influenced by others' content, which may not align with one's personal goals and plans.

What analogy does the speaker use to describe the impact of consuming too much social media content?

The speaker compares consuming too much social media content to building 'half bridges' with various methodologies, which can be less effective than following a few trusted sources.

How does the speaker suggest managing social media following without offending friends?

The speaker suggests muting friends' stories instead of unfollowing them to avoid hurting their feelings while still managing social media consumption.

What book does the speaker recommend, and why?

The speaker recommends 'Relentless' by Tim Grover, which discusses the importance of focusing on a small, close-knit circle of trusted people as one becomes more successful.

What personal habits does the speaker share to illustrate their dedication?

The speaker shares that they wake up at 5:30 AM every day, go to the gym daily, and work extremely hard, sacrificing a lot to achieve their goals.

What is the speaker's ultimate goal for using social media?

The speaker's ultimate goal for using social media is to portray an authentic and inspiring image of their life while maintaining control over their time and focus to achieve personal and professional success.

Outlines

00:00

🛑 Social Media Detox and Backlash

The speaker discusses the drastic decision to unfollow everyone on Instagram, reducing their following from 300 to zero. This move sparked a variety of reactions, particularly from entrepreneur acquaintances who questioned the potential negative impact on his brand. The speaker defends his actions by emphasizing the desire to take control of social media rather than being controlled by it. He aims to use social media to build businesses and connect with people, not to be swayed by the curated highlights that often misrepresent reality. The speaker also shares his commitment to portraying an honest depiction of his life, including the hard work and dedication behind his success.

05:01

🌱 The Illusion of Social Media and Staying in Your Lane

This paragraph delves into the deceptive nature of social media, where the 'highlights reel' often overshadows the reality of people's lives. The speaker admits to being one of the few who tries to maintain transparency and authenticity online. He talks about the importance of staying in one's own lane, especially in creative pursuits, and shares his personal experience of unfollowing many to focus on his own goals for the year. The speaker suggests that reducing the number of people one follows can help in concentrating on personal development and not being misled by the curated content of others. He also recommends muting stories from people one cares about to avoid the pressure of constant consumption without severing ties.

10:01

📚 The Value of Focus and Selective Inspiration

In the final paragraph, the speaker emphasizes the importance of focus and the selective consumption of content. He shares his personal strategy of reducing the number of people he follows to a select few, whose methodologies and lifestyles he admires and wishes to emulate. The speaker encourages the audience to critically evaluate the impact of social media on their lives and to be ruthless in curating their feeds for meaningful content. He also touches on the idea that success often requires narrowing one's circle and focusing on a few key sources of inspiration and motivation.

Keywords

💡Instagram following

The term 'Instagram following' refers to the number of accounts a user is actively following on Instagram. In the video, the speaker mentions reducing their following to zero, which was a deliberate action to take control of their social media experience and focus on their personal and professional growth. It is central to the theme of the video, which is about the impact of social media on one's life and the importance of using it intentionally.

💡Backlash

Backlash in this context denotes the negative reactions or criticisms the speaker received from their decision to unfollow everyone on Instagram. It illustrates the social consequences of deviating from typical social media behavior and is used to highlight the resistance to change and the pressure to conform within social media communities.

💡Social media control

The concept of 'social media control' addresses the idea that individuals should actively use social media rather than being passively consumed by it. The speaker emphasizes this by choosing to unfollow everyone to regain control and use social media as a tool for business growth and personal connection, rather than letting it dictate their life.

💡Highlights and reality

This term contrasts the curated highlights people post on social media with their actual life realities. The speaker uses this to discuss the discrepancy between what is shared online and real-life experiences, pointing out that social media often presents an idealized version of life that can be misleading.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity is the quality of being genuine and true to oneself. The speaker strives for authenticity in their social media presence by sharing both the highs and the efforts behind their success. It is a key aspect of the video's message, encouraging viewers to seek genuine connections and representations in their online interactions.

💡Potential

Potential refers to the latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success. The speaker talks about fulfilling their potential as a personal goal and uses it to motivate their actions and decisions, including their approach to social media.

💡Devil's advocate

Playing devil's advocate means presenting an argument against one's own or the popular opinion for the sake of exploration or debate. The speaker uses this term to introduce their reasoning for reducing their Instagram following, inviting viewers to consider alternative perspectives on social media usage.

💡Muting

Muting, in the context of social media, allows users to stop seeing stories from certain accounts without unfollowing them. The speaker suggests this as a strategy for those who wish to reduce their social media intake without hurting the feelings of friends or connections, demonstrating a practical approach to managing one's social media experience.

💡80/20 principle

The 80/20 principle, also known as the Pareto principle, states that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. The speaker applies this principle to social media, suggesting that most of the value and inspiration one receives comes from a small percentage of the people they follow, advocating for a more selective approach to following accounts.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties. The speaker implies the need for resilience in the face of the pressures and challenges posed by social media, such as the backlash from their decision to unfollow everyone, and the importance of staying true to one's goals despite external influences.

💡Duplication and replication

Duplication and replication refer to the process of copying or repeating actions or results. The speaker encourages viewers to identify successful methodologies from a select few they follow and to apply these strategies to their own lives, emphasizing the importance of learning from others' experiences.

Highlights

The speaker unfollowed everyone on Instagram, reducing their following count to zero, which sparked mixed reactions from their network.

The decision to unfollow everyone was not announced, but it was quickly noticed by peers, leading to inquiries about the impact on personal branding.

The speaker highlights the importance of using social media as a tool rather than being used by it, emphasizing the need to maintain control over one's online presence.

Social media often only shows the highlights of people's lives, which can be misleading and create unrealistic expectations.

The speaker is proud of their achievements and aims to portray a balanced view on social media, showcasing both success and hard work.

Despite the glamorous images shared online, the speaker emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the effort and sacrifices behind the scenes.

The speaker notes that many people manipulate their online presence, which can make others feel inadequate or demotivated.

Achieving success requires staying focused on one's own goals and not getting distracted by others' curated online personas.

The speaker reduced their Instagram following to eliminate distractions and stay focused on their personal and professional goals.

They reference Tim Grover's idea that as you aim for higher success, your circle of close connections may shrink.

The speaker encourages others to evaluate whether they are using social media effectively or if it is negatively influencing them.

An experiment is suggested: reducing the number of people followed on Instagram to focus on content that truly inspires and adds value.

Muting friends' stories instead of unfollowing them is a suggested compromise for maintaining personal relationships while reducing distractions.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of being selective with the content consumed, applying the 80/20 principle to maximize motivation and inspiration.

The speaker reduced their YouTube subscriptions from 80 to 15 channels, focusing only on content that provides significant value.

Transcripts

and then I got my Instagram following to

zero and holy [ __ ] was there a backlash

so guys as some of you may have seen

around like a month ago or something

I literally unfollowed everyone on

Instagram everyone from my business

mentors to my girlfriend to my best

friend to my this or that yeah you know

like literally ever right I went from

around like 300 following to zero and

there's mixed response this backlash

from like my friends obviously take care

that much but you know everyone I had a

lot of people because I'm very flattered

I have a lot of people that just kind of

look at the things I'm doing you know

yes they listen to the things I'm saying

but they also just listen to the things

I'm doing and you know I never announced

anywhere then you know I'm looking to

take my falling down to zero but a lot

of people noticed it and they were you

know I had you know four or five people

who are entrepreneurs who I've never

actually met but you know we've

connected with and they and they

messaged me and they went dude like you

know I'm just curious like why did you

bring your following down 2-0 surely

that's really bad for you and your brand

and and you know I don't you want to

stay connected and stuff like that and

yeah I agree to a certain point but guys

in today's video I just want to play

devil's advocate I just want to you know

give you a bit of a reasoning as to why

it took it down to zero and now I'm up

till around like 30 or so so a lot of us

okay well the first thing I want to say

is that either you use social media or

social media uses you right and I don't

want to I don't like being a sucker

right and I never want to get suckered

into the fact that social media is just

there to use you I want to use social

media I want to use social media to help

build my businesses I want to use social

media to help connect with incredible

people I want to use social media to

stay connected with friends but I never

want to have it have a control over me

right so that is the first thing right

second thing is sometimes

you know one thing in return assignment

solution is it's just the highlights and

I know everyone says this but for

example guys like you will see like it's

it's been so ridiculous to watch what

people put on social media and then what

their life is actually like you know and

there are people who are more honest and

less honest there's different scales you

know those people who make their life

out to be incredible and then actually

just knock and there's people who make

their life out to be incredible and you

know they or at least this is what I try

to do right my life is I live such an

incredible blessed life I I travel the

world you know I work with incredible

companies from a marketing agency I have

incredible mentors and and Business

Network I have like you know all this

stuff I've ever dreamed of right but I'm

still pushing for more and I'm pushing

to provide more value and I'm pushing to

just achieve more and and and you know

be able to say at the end of my life

that I fulfilled my potential and I

think my potential is quite high so you

know what I try to do on my social media

is portray the amazing lifestyle that I

have because I said I'm very proud of

what I managed to do with that but if

you guys follow me on Instagram stories

for example you will see me up at 5:30

every single like no one has ever

questioned my success because it's very

[ __ ] clear like it's very clear to

see that I work like a [ __ ] dog like

that I sacrifice everything for what I

want you know say there's no question

about that so what I try to do is for

example is I try to paint the picture of

look there's this is this amazing life

that you can have and go look at my

photos or my videos but here I am at

5:30 waking up every single [ __ ] day

here's me going to gym every single

[ __ ] day here's me just ending the

day feeling this oh someone has punched

me in the face because that's how

[ __ ] hard or that's how much of

myself I've given to my craft and my

work right so um that's why I try to

with my social media so one thing you

need to understand is everything can be

you know crafted and manipulated and

this and that would social me and that

leaves a lot of people just feeling

really helpless because you know how

would you feel it if you know you're

you're hustling your [ __ ] ass home

but you're trying your hardest you're

doing your thing and then you see

someone on Instagram who's like yeah

today I made

$50,000 or I did this or like here is my

incredible body when really they've just

photoshopped it or here's me and my

incredible lifestyle when you know it's

not that hard to portray in a good

lifestyle without actually having made

that money or here's me doing this thing

or like here's me with all these amazing

girls and then guys I've been like it to

me it was so true because I was as I've

said this in one of my other videos or a

video coming up like I've always wanted

to be that guy in the club behind the

red velvet rope with all the bottles and

the girls and stuff like that and then I

got to that point and it's like all

these girls are just on Instagram or

what zapping their friend that's like

across from them from the table so and

said the grass is never greener but

social media makes it look like the

grass is greener so number one it's the

attention and the fact that social media

is using you number two it's the fact

that like nothing is as it seems on

social media right and there's a few

people and I mean I try to be and I'm

sure I can do better but like there's a

few people who try to just [ __ ] like

talk you know straight talk and just not

[ __ ] around and I try to be one of

those people I said I'm sure I can do

better

and then lastly it's I think whenever

you're doing anything that involves an

even at least a little bit of creativity

you've got to just stay in your own lane

you know you got to stay in your own

lane and for example with me you know I

was following like all these

entrepreneurs and people I respect and

stuff like that but you know I'd be on

their stories and I'd be looking at what

they're doing and I'd be consuming their

content and that and there's a time and

a place for that and for example you

know later on in the year I might need

to follow 100 you know 100 entrepreneurs

that I all respect because I need a bit

of spark and a bit of creativity but I

have this year mapped out I know exactly

every single every single thing I need

to do this year to live a happy and

fulfilled life to have a better

relationship with my girlfriend to you

know goes you know goes through some of

the the family struggles that you know

me and my mom are going through to you

know to have an incredible business work

Network to make that two million dollars

to you know all these things like I know

what to do so seeing someone's Instagram

story of you know the the highlights

inch for like that that doesn't really

help me you know so you know sometimes

you're just you just need to step away

from it all

right and honestly guys I can say you

know definitely read a book Tim Grover

relentless pretty sure that's what's

called but anyway it's like obviously

Tim Tim Grover he was the trainer from

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and you

know one thing he says in there is that

like it's funny because as you start to

get more successful you're your circle

grows and grows and grows but then when

you start to try and get mega successful

your circle once again collapses and you

keep a few people around you and I think

you know that's that's kind of how it is

and I know I'm nowhere near mega

successful like I'm not even I wouldn't

even consider myself successful yet

right I'm just a little like fish right

I guess you could say at my age

considering how long I've been doing

what I've been doing I don't know how

many other people who are on similar

levels if I'm honest but in that day as

I said there's also so far to go so for

you guys you know if you are following a

[ __ ] ton of people on Instagram um guys

at that a day you just go ask yourself

are you using social media or is social

media using you and I would implore you

guys you know cut down your following to

15 people just try it right because then

today also I think there's so many

people here's here's what most people

are doing they're watching a podcast

from this person they're taking a course

from this person they're following this

person methodology this person

methodology they're building all these

half bridges with all these

methodologies why not just follow it two

or three people who like I I generous I

can say like that's two or three people

whose methodologies like I follow and I

really follow everyone else I will take

little inspiration from here and there

but it's two or three people who have

certain aspects of their life that I'm

like I like that and I want that and I

want to achieve the similar sort of

thing so guys I would say you gotta cut

down on the amount of people you're

listening to and look if that means

cutting me out and you don't resonate

with my with my stuff you you know so be

it you know if that means that you're

gonna be more successful go ahead and

unsubscribe you know it would be a shame

if you did because I love you guys but

you know just find someone you resonate

with and find someone you resonate with

and you see what they've done and

they're

in a similar situation to you and it's

very easy to just duplicate and

replicate the results okay so yeah I

think it'd be an interesting experience

experiment for all you guys just to try

you know bringing down your following

account and then in a day a story just

well you know one tip that I do have for

you guys if you don't want to unfollow

like your your best friends and her your

friends feelings and sure like that one

thing you can do is you can hold on

someone's story and you can actually

mute their story so you don't get their

story I've done that with a few people

I'm not going to say who but I've done

that with a few people because you know

I care about them you know it's it's

weird it's one of those things where

people actually do get upset funnily

enough or at least people you care about

I feel and follow them on social media

because it's become such a big thing

even though it really isn't so just go

ahead and get their story you need to

watch that [ __ ] and guys as I said

at the end hey if you if you know what

to do if you know what to do there you

go it's not like you need any extra

information if you just need some

motivation or some cake there's three

four five six people who will give that

for you right it's eight it's 80/20

principle I'm telling you the most of

the motivation and value and inspiration

that you are getting from people is

coming from that 20% each same with my

youtube inbox got a sub box guys I took

it down from like they're like 80 or

something bad take I've taken it down to

15 right so you know guys just on it the

sort of [ __ ] that you're looking at and

just go you know just it's your life and

they're like it's your life just awed it

does this really have an impact on my

life enough not cut it you know and just

be a bit ruthless so guys hope you

enjoyed this video

Oh

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