Instagram, gyms and mental illness

Balanadan · 27-04-2019 03:27PM #1

I find it difficult to browse instagram without thinking there are a lot of mentally ill people on there. You get the stories in the media every so often about someone who has curated the "perfect" life on instagram yet they a deeply depressed and unhappy.

There's a chain of gyms near me and they are full of people who spend hours, and I mean hours, hanging around the place taking selfies for instagram. Some of the poses they pull... :pac: Their instagram pages are almost solely selfies, posed and curated to portray themselves in a certain way. The same gym promotes supplements to the point where you'd probably be ****ting pure protein and Monster energy drinks ffs.

Atoms for Peace · 27-04-2019 03:30PM

I just post random interesting pics of nothing in particular, don't follow or am followed by anybody I know I real life. In all its a bit pointless to be honest.

mzungu · 27-04-2019 03:31PM

Balanadan wrote: »

I find it difficult to browse instagram without thinking there are a lot of mentally ill people on there. You get the stories in the media every so often about someone who has curated the "perfect" life on instagram yet they a deeply depressed and unhappy.

There's a chain of gyms near me and they are full of people who spend hours, and I mean hours, hanging around the place taking selfies for instagram. Some of the poses they pull... :pac: Their instagram pages are almost solely selfies, posed and curated to portray themselves in a certain way. The same gym promotes supplements to the point where you'd probably be ****ting pure protein and Monster energy drinks ffs.

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Jimmy_oc1998 · 27-04-2019 03:38PM

There's one massive thing people want in life and that is to feel a sense of importance. When someone likes a picture of you on instagram you feel important that someone else is impressed or is interested in you.

It's also a case of showing off too, knowing others will be jealous of your likes or that your topless selfie is getting liked by a bunch of hot women.

They're all twats.

Balanadan · 27-04-2019 03:39PM

mzungu wrote: »

Charles Ingles · 27-04-2019 03:41PM

The internet is on its last few years anyway. social media is very destructive the sooner they shut the internet down the better

arybvtcw0eolkf · 27-04-2019 03:42PM

Gym photos I can't deal with. But I do a lot of running in different places so I post a lot of selfies in difference (nice) locations. Then there's photos from my Judo competitions too.

But pouting duck faces and arses is probably a mental illness I agree

Woke Hogan · 27-04-2019 03:44PM

Ford Damp Dusk wrote: »

Gym photos I can't deal with. But I do a lot of running in different places so I post a lot of selfies in difference (nice) locations. Then there's photos from my Judo competitions too.

But pouting duck faces and arses is probably a mental illness I agree

Didn't you say a few hours ago that you once posted a picture of your arse on Facebook?

Twenty Grand · 27-04-2019 03:52PM

Balanadan wrote: »

I find it difficult to browse instagram without thinking there are a lot of mentally ill people on there. You get the stories in the media every so often about someone who has curated the "perfect" life on instagram yet they a deeply depressed and unhappy.

Curated?

It's the same picture. In the same pose, in the same gym, in the same gymshark leggings, Nike runners and big headphones. Endlessly the same.
Woop de f*ck, you have a huge arse.

Same with the lads lifting weights in tank tops, baseball hats and headphones.
It's a uniform at this stage.

We live in a very superficial time, but it's very possible to remove yourself entirely from it. Just stay away from that side of Instagram and most of reality TV and you're fine.

ogsjw · 27-04-2019 03:52PM

Balanadan wrote: »

I find it difficult to browse instagram

Best to not do so then, or curate who you're following. I got rid of my Facebook and switched to Pinterest for something to scroll on; couldn't be happier. It keeps track of what I'm adding to my lists and gives me more of that.

Yes; there is a huge market for shallow ****e on the internet, we're truly fecked as a species in my opinion. Maybe instead of annoying bumps and notches, phones should just get rid of selfie cameras altogether. The world is becoming increasingly self-obsessed with surface level issues while worse and worse people pull society's strings.

Witcher · 27-04-2019 03:58PM

I regularly see this sh1te in the gym; in one case I was on the treadmill a while back, girl comes in and jumps on the one beside me which I only noticed at first because there was about 10 other ones free...urinal rules apply here:pac:

Anyway, she set it to 16, 17 and then 18 km/h...grand you might say only she didnt run at all on it, took a photo of the screen at each pace and walked off to use the cable machine for arse rows or whatever:pac:

Lads are just as bad, loading bars up...photo then stripping it and lifting a smaller weight if they bother actually lifting it at all.

Trigger Happy · 27-04-2019 04:00PM

I must have the wrong, or right, friends as all they post is pictures of their dinner and pets.

27-04-2019 04:02PM

Ford Damp Dusk wrote: »

Gym photos I can't deal with. But I do a lot of running in different places so I post a lot of selfies in difference (nice) locations. Then there's photos from my Judo competitions too.

But pouting duck faces and arses is probably a mental illness I agree

Why not just post a picture of the scenery?..why do you have to stick your stupid head in the corner of it?..

I was actually going to do a series of photos a few years ago where I just got one selfie like picture of myself and stuck it in the corner of a load of random shots.. like, the Taj Mahal..on the moon etc..
Didn't though, just in case it went viral..

27-04-2019 04:06PM

But yeah, on topic.. yeah, we're just becoming more superficial across the board.. everything is done with how it comes across on social media in mind.. even just everyday expression..it's an act..
There doesn't seem to be much genuine communication happening anymore..
You would wonder what sort of effect it will have in the longer term..
Probably just lead to a population of narcissistic sociopaths..

Woke Hogan · 27-04-2019 04:08PM

Witcher wrote: »

I regularly see this sh1te in the gym; in one case I was on the treadmill a while back, girl comes in and jumps on the one beside me which I only noticed at first because there was about 10 other ones free...urinal rules apply here:pac:

Anyway, she set it to 16, 17 and then 18 km/h...grand you might say only she didnt run at all on it, took a photo of the screen at each pace and walked off to use the cable machine for arse rows or whatever:pac:

Lads are just as bad, loading bars up...photo then stripping it and lifting a smaller weight if they bother actually lifting it at all.

Maybe she was researching the treadmill's settings so she can plot a good training routine for herself.

People love casting scorn on the Instagram generation for being vain gymrats but at least they're encouraging a lifestyle better than being "healthy at every size." Promoting obesity, in other words.

Woke Hogan · 27-04-2019 04:08PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Why not just post a picture of the scenery?..why do you have to stick your stupid head in the corner of it?..

I was actually going to do a series of photos a few years ago where I just got one selfie like picture of myself and stuck it in the corner of a load of random shots.. like, the Taj Mahal..on the moon etc..
Didn't though, just in case it went viral..

It wouldn't have.

27-04-2019 04:10PM

Woke Hogan wrote: »

People love casting scorn on the Instagram generation for being vain gymrats but at least they're encouraging a lifestyle better than being "healthy at every size." Promoting obesity, in other words.

No one ever promoted obesity though..

Charles Ingles · 27-04-2019 04:10PM

In my day the only way show off was to take your top off when out cutting the grass in the front garden, give all the housewife's on the road something to look at. Now it's a picture for the world to see

Witcher · 27-04-2019 04:13PM

Woke Hogan wrote: »

Maybe she was researching the treadmill's settings so she can plot a good training routine for herself.

People love casting scorn on the Instagram generation for being vain gymrats but at least they're encouraging a lifestyle better than being "healthy at every size." Promoting obesity, in other words.

Yeah, everyone uses treadmills for that, photos of the pace counter are critical:pac:

Woke Hogan · 27-04-2019 04:18PM

Witcher wrote: »

Yeah, everyone uses treadmills for that, photos of the pace counter are critical:pac:

I'm something of a keen runner myself and whenever I'm using the treadmill I'm going too fast to be looking at what my neighbour's doing on their machine. You might get some decent results yourself if you spent a little bit more time worrying about your own pace counter rather than someone else's.

Witcher · 27-04-2019 04:20PM

Woke Hogan wrote: »

I'm something of a keen runner myself and whenever I'm using the treadmill I'm going too fast to be looking at what my neighbour's doing on their machine. You might get some decent results yourself if you spent a little bit more time worrying about your own pace counter rather than someone else's.

Good lad, your medal is in the post:pac:

Some of us aren't gasping for breath when running so can do more than just focusing on not passing out...might want to work on that yourself before the Olympics:pac:

castletownman · 27-04-2019 04:20PM

Not just limited to gym junkies though. At least some of them may have a business to promote, especially as "personal trainers" have really exploded in popularity lately.

It's the women that share every single facet of their young children's lives on social media that are definitely mentally ill. I have posted before on other threads on AH about someone I know that just cannot stop sharing EVERYTHING about her toddler. They were away on holiday recently, and rather than switch off and enjoy the down-time, she literally had album-loads of photos documenting the trip from the perspective of "look at me, I have a kid..." Inconsequential "milestones" have been shared since that poor tyke came into this world.

And I know she isn't an isolated case. It's widespread, and I find it extremely strange.

27-04-2019 04:21PM

Woke Hogan wrote: »

I'm something of a keen runner myself and whenever I'm using the treadmill I'm going too fast to be looking at what my neighbour's doing on their machine. You might get some decent results yourself if you spent a little bit more time worrying about your own pace counter rather than someone else's.

But like, even from the language you're using we can tell you are one of the people this thread is giving out about..

OldMrBrennan83 · 27-04-2019 04:22PM

Most modern Ireland thread title ever. If there had been something about Belgian stout and vegan cheese we'd have had to shut down.

Woke Hogan · 27-04-2019 04:25PM

Deleted User wrote: »

But like, even from the language you're using we can tell you are one of the people this thread is giving out about..

But like, what are you on about?

Fr_Dougal · 27-04-2019 04:30PM

Jimmy_oc1998 wrote: »

[I am 28 and I have 78k in my current account.

I rent and have a salary of 45k for the last 12 months and my account has increased by 24k in the last 12 months.

How am I doing? Is it common to have this much saved when on this salary?

Jimmy_oc1998 wrote: »

There's one massive thing people want in life and that is to feel a sense of importance. When someone likes a picture of you on instagram you feel important that someone else is impressed or is interested in you.

It's also a case of showing off too, knowing others will be jealous of your likes or that your topless selfie is getting liked by a bunch of hot women.

They're all twats.

Lol

27-04-2019 04:35PM

Woke Hogan wrote: »

But like, what are you on about?

The whole going to the gym to "get results", as opposed to staying fit or whatever.. it's the whole fit-fam language, like..

billyhead · 27-04-2019 04:43PM

Social Media is driving people nuts. A lot of vanity and self promotion causing insecurity amongst people. In relation to the gym I couldn't give a toss what other people do. I am there to get in and get out. But I was wondering why do some users were a heavy tracksuit and a hat when working out?

Pac1Man · 27-04-2019 04:49PM

billyhead wrote: »

But I was wondering why do some users were a heavy tracksuit and a hat when working out?

Possibly trying to cut weight for a competition?

LorelliPop! · 27-04-2019 04:58PM

It's a bit sad if they are only going to the gym in order to share it and oversharing or too much of anything is a bad thing but what else do people expect from social media and one like instagram that only shares pictures and videos? It's not a natural form of communication.

If they dont post something then the sites wouldn't exist and most people don't lead particularly extraordinary lives or travel around the world every five minutes so people are going to share the things they are doing or interested in like going to the gym. Plus just because someone posts mainly one thing doesn't mean that they don't have other interests or things going on that they don't share. The actual posts they choose to share publicly might be superficial but it doesn't necessarily mean the person overall is.

ToddyDoody · 27-04-2019 05:00PM

Poor old Narcissus would be turning in his watery grave.

Instagram, gyms and mental illness

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