Why I Quit (Instagram)
April 2023: the story of how I quit Instagram, why I love struggle meals, and the ultimate nostalgic chicken broth
About four weeks ago I got hacked out of my Twitter account. Someone, somewhere, out in the world, hacked my account, removed my recovery email, changed my password, and started posting phishing tweets about cryptocurrency under my name. I filed a request with Twitter support and have been trapped in a strange loop ever since. A Groundhog Day scenario where I fill out this form only to be contacted by Twitter support and sent back to the same form from before.
What did I learn about myself being logged out of Twitter? How much I was relying on it to keep up with C-tier news (I still know what’s going on with the president, but I’m less in the know about the trailer for the Barbie movie, for example)? How much I am at the mercy of a corporate entity when it comes to an account that, literally, has my name on it? How much time I was spending per day thoughtlessly scrolling through the most tepid of takes?
I can tell you that I followed up getting hacked out of Twitter with quitting Instagram. Being off of Twitter offered some much-needed perspective. Life went on without Twitter and I was — by several metrics — happier, so why shouldn’t Instagram follow suit?
I think most of us know just how corrosive social media can be on our brains after too much time spent scrolling the feed. And I think we all also know that social media isn’t an inherent evil. It connects us to each other, for better or worse.
And still, I cooked dinner. Not every night but many nights this month as I do all other months. I posted less because I couldn’t or was willingly abstaining and life went on. And to my surprise, I still cooked things that looked nice even though I had no feed to publish them too. I still took care to arrange the food, to get the ratios right, to pick the right plate. I still took pictures that I’m not going to share because they’re not meant to be.
You do not need to cut Instagram out of your life to be happier, that’s not what I’m saying. I myself will probably be back on Instagram at some point. But take care out there and be mindful. Just cause the phone eats first doesn’t mean it gets to eat the whole meal.
In Defense of: Struggle Meals
I was talking to a friend recently and it became clear to me from our conversation that I am giving off a perception that I am a person who almost exclusively eats “good food”. My brand is that I cook a lot and like to cook interesting meals for myself at home, even when no one is looking. Mask off: I’m here to tell you that it’s not true. If you believed that, you were wrong. Because life is hard, cooking is enjoyable but a thing that takes time and energy — two things I do not always have.
I like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. I actually like to pair a PB&J with a lemon-twist gin martini because life is short and it’s actually a great pairing. I will not scoff at Domino’s pizza (it’s not pizza but it’s delicious cheesy sauce-bread). I like the frozen chicken tikka masala from trader joe’s. I went out to a really nice restaurant here in D.C. and had an excellent octopus dish and then, later that same evening, got chicken fingers at a bar.
Don’t let anyone tell you what foods you can and can’t like. This carefully curated feed of mine is just that: curated.
Dispatches: Nostalgic Broth
Passover is this week and I would be remiss not to include something here about Matzo Ball Soup — Jewish Penicillin. My main story this week concerns a journey of recreating the broth of my childhood. Making the instant boxed broth I find so nostalgic into a homemade, hours-long stock I could be proud of.
Chag Sameach to all my readers celebrating today and happy Easter to everyone celebrating this weekend. Hope your month ahead is full of family and friends and, far more importantly, great food.