I’m sitting in class, staring awkwardly off into the silence as the teacher yaps about the Korean war and globalization. As I slouch uncomfortably in my chair, desperately needing a savior from my crucifix of boredom, a sudden epiphany chimes in my head like the bells of St. Petersburg. I glance carefully around the room, and slyly whip out my phone under the desk. A big, goofy smile spreads across my face as I navigate through my phone’s interface and open Instagram. It’s time for my daily fix of cute dog videos, sports highlights, and hilarious, yet harmless fails.

However, when I open my reels I am shocked to find a significant lack of dog videos! Instead I find videos of violent altercations between gangs, domestic abuse videos within homes and schools, and other explicit videos littered across my feed like homeless people littered in San Francisco. Why is my Instagram feed suddenly so insane?!?! The app that I once counted on for my daily entertainment has suddenly become a grotesque depiction of society at its worst, and has changed for the worse. However, while me and many others despise this sudden change to Instagram reels, many across Provo and Timpview seem to think otherwise.

“My life has changed because of the new Instagram reels,” says an anonymous sophomore. “Now instead of the boring old reels that you get everyday, I’m seeing AWESOME videos of little kids kicking each other and ‘grannies’ battling it out.” this sophomore, along with many others, enjoy these new reels because of the increased entertainment they bring, and the change of mood it brings to the app and what content it’s known for. Many students also enjoy these new reels because of the real-life scenarios they depict. Sophomore Seth Norton stated, “I feel like everything nowadays is so censored, and if we really want to mature and grow we need to see the stuff that is happening around the world.” Seth brings up a good point. It’s not like Instagram reels are making these bad things happen, the app is just showcasing these events and exposing the ugly sides of our society.

In contrast to this popular opinion, others view the new Instagram media as toxic and harmful. An anonymous sophomore explained how after he watched these new Instagram reels, he felt really sick inside and downright depressed.“Instagram reels are supposed to make you feel good, and be uplifting,” he said, “what if it was my grandma getting pushed down a flight of stairs?!” With all the stress that we teenagers seem to be facing today, we shouldn’t have to deal with the increased emotional trauma that results from these new reels. 

While this increase in grotesque yet entertaining reels may seem fun and exciting, perhaps these reels are more harmful than helpful. After all, we’re all still just kids, we should be enjoying our youth and staying optimistic about the world, instead of witnessing it at its worst. This sudden change in content shows the many privileges and new experiences that come with growing up, but it also shows the many burdens of maturity as well. Let us all live in the moment together and enjoy the optimistic innocence of our childhood, and save the cynical, realistic thinking for when we’re 45.