‘As with alcohol, it is important to establish and follow certain rules.’ Photograph: Alamy View image in fullscreen ‘As with alcohol, it is important to establish and follow certain rules.’ Photograph: Alamy Instagram Letters Instagram addicts and alcoholics have something in common As with alcohol, it is important to establish and follow certain rules when using social media, says John Kirkwood
Reading the letters about Instagram ( We are reclaiming real life after getting rid of Instagram, 23 October ) was like attending the internet equivalent of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The problem in both cases appears to be the user, not the substance – be it booze or social media.
As with alcohol, it is important to establish and follow certain rules. I never post images of my family. I almost never include an image of myself, only if I appear, for example in a group of cyclists. I immediately block any request about which I am suspicious (very easy to spot). And I limit myself to 15 minutes of scrolling through other images.
The cycling account that I run on Instagram – @ncn_sheffield – is a useful way of promoting the activities of Walk Wheel Cycle Trust volunteers and, in return, provides useful links to similar groups. Occasionally, beyond cycling, I have discovered some wonderful stuff. As a brickwork nerd, for instance, @les_briques provides an amazing array of fascinating buildings, some of which I hope to visit and in so doing mix with other humans. John Kirkwood Sheffield
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