Episode 414: You should never take personally a follow back on Instagram
Summary
A straphanger drops a controversial opinion: Instagram follows aren't personal, and she won't follow back friends if she doesn't like their aesthetic. Kareem's stunned by the ruthlessness. She only follows around 200 people and thinks the platform is professional, not social. Why follow someone who hasn't posted since 2020 except holiday pictures? The conversation spirals into pity follows, the horror of people grabbing your phone to follow themselves (an invasion of privacy worth blocking over), and whether Kareem himself will get a follow. He already followed her and didn't take it personally when she didn't reciprocate. They pinky promise her follow back won't be out of pity.
Full Transcript
So, what's your take? You should never take personally a follow back on Instagram. 100% agree.
Oh, okay. So, if somebody doesn't follow you back, yeah, you don't mind. I think it's okay. It's not about me and I don't need that validation from someone else. It's not about like your friends. This is not like a group chat. This is not Messenger or Facebook. It's professional. Do I really care about someone that hasn't post anything on social media since like 2020 except free holidays pictures and that's it? I don't care. I'm sorry. Like, why do I have to follow you? It means nothing.
Yeah. And you know what? It's going to be a pity follow. Yeah. Like like I feel bad.
No. No. I sometimes I do feel bad and I just I just go I'll just give them a follow. But I also think sometimes like I love my friends. I just don't like their aesthetic.
Oh, so you don't even follow back friends? Yeah. Some friends. Yeah.
Wow. That's I'd draw a line of friends. Really? Yeah. I pity follow all my friends, but I still follow them. But but I would not—it's not because I like them or I'm interested. Because I already know them.
But that's awful. Like then it's like what? You pity your friend. Of course.
Yeah. Of course. What am I supposed to do? I'm sorry. Challenge them. What about when they go follow me back? That's rude of them. You should never put the phone like this in front of me and that's blackmail. But what is the worst thing ever is like when they take your phone and then search your own name and then follow themsel. And I'm like, I didn't want that. That's an invasion of privacy. That's rude for that. I want to report them, block them. I'm sorry. You're out of my life.
How many do you follow? I think like 200 something.
Wow. That's low. Yeah. I feel like I'm following the whole city of New York. But that's the thing. Like probably going to follow you.
Yeah. No, actually don't. Because if it's like a pity one, I don't want it. It's not a pity, but it's a it's more like a I should.
Yeah, but you should never feel like—look, I've already done it and you haven't followed me back. Did I took it personally? No.
Well, here's the thing. I didn't even know you. Yeah, but that's okay. But I'm going to follow you back and it's not a pity. You promise, right? It's not a pity one.
Can we get a pinky now?