When I listen to podcasts, I’ll often want to check out the guests to see how old they are, their work background, what they look like, their websites etc. In the past, I would usually find this info on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
Lately though, all three of these sites have been limiting access to non-registered users. Linked in shows the profile picture and headline but blurs the career history. Twitter often blocks all access and shows a login/sign-up page. Instagram, up until a few weeks ago would show a few recent posts before blocking the rest with a login/sign-up popup.
I’m not curious enough to sign up for any of these. I’m certainly not giving up my email address and mobile phone number so they can track me and sell my info to advertisers.
And so, I’ve come up with the perfect solution. I no longer do anything other than quickly scan my google search results. That’s enough for me.
Years ago, I thought that Instagram was a site where I’d get an idea of what the person looked like. But I’ve realized that it is a site where I actually see what a person looks like with filters and photo editing applied. It’s quite creepy to see someone who has changed their facial shape, unblemished their skin to make it look like plastic, changed their body type from average (or fat) to slender, altered their eye color etc.
I really have no interest in checking out photo edited, filtered people. I am more interested in getting to know something a little more real about the person.
But “real” is not part of social media.
By blocking access to unregistered users, Instagram solved my problem for me.
