Figuring out Instagram's new "notes" feature in real time

When Instagram came out with the new “notes” feature a few days ago I thought it was a good move. Finally, a feature that doesn't feel like they are emulating something from another app (e.g. reels, marketplace). Also, it’s not in your face like stories or anything else on there. You have to click on your dm’s tab to see what people are writing. Instagram is shuffling the cards and I like it.

Immediately I wanted to post something. A cool opportunity for connection. I looked at the things the first few people have posted and as much as I really wanted to post something, I wasn’t sure what to post. With so few people posting thus far, I did not know what’s “appropriate” to write. Instagram, like any other social media platform, has it’s own hidden social rules and personal connections. One thing I know for sure, no one follows only people they are 100% comfortable with. Heck, i’s numerically impossible! According to Dunbar’s number theory, we can only really maintain about 150 connections at once. Most people have way above 150 connections on Instagram. As there are no defined rules, posting each status feels cautionary at best.

The themes I’m noticing so far:

• Emojis: seems like a low risk, safe bet. Can’t really over analyze it.

• Flags and dates of countries you are currently traveling in or will be in soon to try to link up with people who might be there.

• Decrypted acronyms that make me look up on google what they mean because only a specific niche of people know about them. I wanted to write FAFO but refrained (I won’t make you look it up, it means fuck around find out).

• General questions targeting the audience: good for response bait, not so good if the majority of the people you have on Instagram don’t actually care to respond. Majority of the time asking questions is better when asking specific people in my opinion.

• People/my friends I’m following from outside of the U.S. haven’t written anything. I don’t know if it’s because they don’t have this feature yet or they’re just shy.

• Lastly, most notes seem to be witty in nature. I ask myself, does this have to be witty? What if I just want to write “decompressing from leaving my house”? Don’t get me wrong, I love witty statues but it’s too much pressure. I just want to share what I feel (although I’m sure a witty note will come in soon).

This is like a social experiment in real time. It’s kinda fun though and I’m here for it. But don’t kill me if I post something super embarrassing. Maybe the day comes when the “rules” have been defined and I’ll be more sure of what one should and should not post. When the day does come, I feel like I won’t care if there are or there are not any rules and will post to my heart's desire.