Advertisement
Internet Culture

6 Instagram mistakes you know you’ve made

Don’t give the game away.

Photo of Shanrah Wakefield

Shanrah Wakefield

Article Lead Image

I’m not sure what was worse: him Googling his own name on my laptop and seeing it

Featured Video

auto-complete, or his ex-girlfriend potentially catching my double-tap Instagram notification

before I deleted it.

If I’m honest, it was the latter that had me wishing I’d be hit by a sudden passing

Advertisement

bus. 

We have reached a point in our depraved and muddled society where it’s pretty

much considered civilized—nay, smart—to exploit Google’s background-checking

capabilities in the pre-dating phase. Oh hey, guy, you want to give me your full name,

Advertisement

phone number, and email address? Gracias. Of course I’m going to hunt down your

college, business ventures, and three most recent girlfriends. You think you’re being

stealthy by holding back on the full name? Buddy, I only need the name your

mother picked for you and what you ate for dinner to track down your social

Advertisement

security number.

We can accept that we’re on the same page—yes? 

Instagram stalking, however, is something of a fresher phenomenon, with new and

innovative tactics revealing themselves on the regular. (Let’s call it “hunting,” by the

Advertisement

way, because that’s funner and less creepy.) The art of the Instagram hunt has just

left its infancy and entered toddlerhood. We all know how it’s done and we all do it,

with varying degrees of excellence.

But are we all ready to wholeheartedly admit it? Nope. 

Advertisement

Therefore, what we’re dealing with here is the perfect formula for social

embarrassment. We all know how it works: It’s like connect the dots, only the dots

are likers, commenters and followers. Let’s talk about some of the Insta-crimes that

none of want to commit:

Advertisement

1) Double-tapping the guy you’re into 

You know how you went into that thing with that guy thinking you were going to do

it differently this time? Screw social media, you said—your grand plans

involved taking it back to the old school and getting to know each other by talking to

Advertisement

each other across a table with food and vodka on it. Well, you just blew it. He knows

that you know that he was playing volleyball in Venice last weekend, so you

officially have nothing left to discuss. Because of that “like,” he knows you like him, and he knows you’re a

stalker—which is no big deal, because so is he, assuming he’s human—but the

Advertisement

mystery is dashed and you may as well steal a new identity. 

Next-level problem: double-tapping a six-month-old photo of said guy. You

may as well tattoo “Hi, I’m obsessed with you” on one cheek and “I have no life” on

the other. Curl up in a fetal position as you imagine him imagining you studying his

Advertisement

entire Insta-life like you’re about to take an exam on it. There’s no saving this sinking ship. 

2) Double-tapping the guy you like but have not yet met in real life 

You seriously screwed up. Gone are the chances of an oh-so-coincidental encounter

in the hallway at work, where you catch each other’s eye and see a vision of your

Advertisement

future together, with a blissful first date naturally evolving from that. Now he knows

he’s hunted. This can be overcome, however. Maybe you needed an ice-breaker

anyway. But you’d better be damn sure you’re into him, because if it was just a

curiosity double-tap, you’ve started something you’ll have a hard time getting out

Advertisement

of without being impolite. 

You’d also better be sure he’s single and straight. Otherwise… awkward. 

3) Double-tapping the current or ex-girlfriend of the guy you like 

Social suicide. Sorry, there’s no other way to put it. You’d better believe that she’s

Advertisement

just as Insta-savvy as you, and will be tracing the identity of the random new “like”

on her selfie as soon as she spots it. Unless she was born two centuries ago, you’ve

got somewhere between 15 and 30 seconds before she figures out that you’ve got a

curious interest in her current beau or ex-boyfriend. Don’t think she won’t figure out that

Advertisement

you’ve found her profile by clicking on an old snap of said guy, locating the cutie who left a heart symbol and delving right into her pictorial wonderland. 

This is a surefire and embarrassing way of finding out that the guy you’re into is definitely taken.

There’s no recourse for you here. At best, she’ll alert the guy in question to the fact

that you’re a freak. But you can find refuge in this: She’ll understand, because she does the same thing… and she’s probably looked at your selfies. 

Advertisement

4) Double-tapping the hottest personal trainer at your gym 

It’s not our fault that physically blessed humans who do sit-ups for a living are super

dedicated to Instagram. They leave their profile public and hashtag #gymlyfe for the

same reason that murderers leave their sweaters behind: They want to be found. If

Advertisement

you go to a gym, there’s guaranteed to be at least one hottie working the floors.

That’s fine, it’s impetus to brush your teeth in the morning before hitting the

weights. And there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly out-of-hours snooping

around said personal trainer’s pictorial wonderland… but this is why the Instagram

Advertisement

app should never be accessed on an intoxicated night out. Similarly, it should never

be handed to a shaky-handed friend who is dying to see what this guy looks like. If a

double-tap happens accidentally or on purpose, you’ve officially made your

upcoming gym visits an awkward nightmare. 

Advertisement

5) Double-tapping your ex 

Similar to the embarrassment caused by double-tapping a guy you like, only the

repercussions are such that your ex has license to think he’s your one and only and

that you’re going to be hung up on him for eternity—even though you were only

Advertisement

trying to see whether he’s doing a better job than you in the “moving on” competition. 

6) Double-tapping yourself 

Must I explain this? Nobody likes a narcissist. Unless you’re liking your own photo of

an overly adorable puppy, don’t try it at home.

Advertisement

Anyway, these are all modern-day, first-world problems. It’s the Ebola of the Internet and an X-

ray vision of our pervy minds. Just like picking your nose, it’s best to be aware of the

fact that we’re all guilty of it; we’re just not all honest about it. And guess what, my

happy hunters? Even when you “unlike,” your “like” notification will remain in their

Advertisement

drag-down notification center until the end of time. You’re welcome.

Illustration by Jason Reed

 
The Daily Dot