Owned by social media powerhouse Facebook, the nature of Instagram ads have been increasingly questioned, but tolerated, by the public. But as the world self-imploded in March of 2020, simultaneous demands for escape and control skyrocketed. The average user suddenly found themselves shamelessly scrolling, meanwhile indifferent towards exposure to targeted ads, for hours at a time.

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“It’s interesting how [many] Instagram brands are making their way into my wardrobe,” Brooklynite Naomi Brender, 34, observes while assessing her closet. Brender preferred thrifting pre-pandemic, rather than buying new, as it correlates more with her concerns of the fashion industry’s impact on the environment. But with lockdowns came thrift shop closures, and losing her job as a coffee shop manager. Inevitably, circumstances allotted her more time and space for Instagram, and incessant advertisements, to creep into her consciousness.

​When presented with intent beyond profit, the way we consume increasingly serves to bridge the sudden fracture left between individuals and the outside world. Business of Fashion reports now, more than ever, consumers are viewing their wallet as a tool to make meaning. “I can feel how [the ads] keep getting put in front of me, how the more it’s put in front of me the more I want it,” Brender describes. “[You become] so familiar with it that it becomes you and you’re tricked into thinking you like it.”

However, while reluctant, Brender admits to “really, really” liking her quarantine purchases. Her suspicions ultimately motivating more product research, which included production practices of the brands in question, in addition to quality and versatility. Her favorite quarantine purchase? A pair of organic cotton jeans that she can wear for work, “as well as rock climbing!”

For elementary school teacher Jackie Waterman, 30, Instagram was something she simply thought of as “a distraction, just companies and influencers trying to sell me something.” But with indefinite school closures, Waterman’s screen time significantly increased alongside more time spent at home. 

Waterman found herself using the app more while indulging in home décor and pet products. “I’m just hyper-aware of things I want when I’m bored,” she acknowledges, “but I do feel the algorithm has gotten better,” noting her purchases have increasingly come from independent designers and businesses. Waterman attributes the shift to interacting with posts more intentionally stating, “It feels like people are trying to connect with [more authentic] users and businesses.”

Additionally, Waterman noticed local food truck posts advertising a weekly outdoor event hosted in a parking lot within walking distance from her home in Towson, MD. She and her fiancé attend every Thursday for a sense of community and meal variety, “as opposed to ordering Chipotle delivery every day.”

Waterman’s newfound focus reprogramed her algorithm, connecting her with users that are part of her community and share her core values. “Because of people [I’ve started following] I feel like I’m actually learning things when I’m on [Instagram] or discovering new companies that better align with my interests.”

On the business side, the app played an even more profound role for owner of Brooklyn cafe chain Little Skips, Linda Thach. Reliant on visuals, Thach has always found Instagram intimidating, but feels more compelled than ever to identify who she is in the business world; how she leads and what message she is putting out.

Thach summarizes her story as a refugee from Cambodia who has opened five businesses in Brooklyn over the last 10 years. Among them was Little Skips, first opened in 2009 as a collaborative art space. Having always been very shy to the idea being the face of the business, she admits to never having invested in marketing or public relations. 

Thach recalls how her social media correspondent used to regularly mention how little she was featured on the company’s feed. When she would meet and talk with customers, they are were often surprised to find she is Asian, assuming the shop as a white-owned business. Thach acknowledged the initiative to share more of herself was not a task she was ready to tackle emotionally, but in light of the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, felt it was a responsibility to use Little Skips, and Instagram, more intentionally.

Little Skips began advertising and hosting events, such as a Martin Luther King Jr. film festival and educational coffee tastings, in January 2020. But as waves of virus outbreaks came and…came again, Little Skips was forced to temporarily close a few months later. Meanwhile, anti-Asian crimes were reaching historic highs, with 16 of the nation’s largest cities experiencing a surge up 164% since the beginning of 2020, leading up to the March 26, 2021 Atlanta spa shooting which left eight Asian women murdered.

The following weeks have required American society to acknowledge the harsh realities of how Asian women are perceived, and conditioned, in Western culture. Thach explains how Asian women are taught to submit; to be passive, shy and scared. In contrast, her male counterparts are groomed with confidence from the start, encouraged to be loud and put their face out there. 

Thach admits she finds herself comparing her story to the various male chefs posing on cover after cover of Bon Appétit for opening a single restaurant. “As women we feel we don’t deserve the limelight. It’s more than Asians proving ourselves in a white world, I think it’s Asian women proving themselves against Asian men in our culture.” 

Thach’s efforts have unearthed deeper connection between herself and Instagram users around the world. Regularly receiving direct messages from young women, detailing how inspiring her story is to them, she is committed to remaining open and accessible. “I’m trying to be engaging with everyone, especially young Asian women. They need to have someone that looks like them [as a role model.]”

While Instagram’s regulations remain controversial, we as humans refuse to give up so easily when denied connection. The app’s functions and capabilities continuously prove relevant and valuable suggesting that perhaps there is a call to refocus social needs, and furthermore, maintain accountability of individual and corporate objectives.