We hit a turbulent patch on a transatlantic flight recently. As a nervous flier, I have a solid religious routine but when I need to step up my prayer game, I tend to jump straight into negotiation. Before I knew it, somewhere about three hours off France, I heard myself promising God that if we made it home safely, I would go easy on those Instagram Stories.

Hi, my name is Shradha and I am an Instaholic.

Before you judge me, let me clarify a few things. I don’t take daily selfies. I tried taking those selfies when you think people can’t tell it’s a selfie but I realised I was fooling no one. I don’t post full-length mirror photos because my room is never curated/clean enough. I don’t have a tripod to take my #ootd (outfit of the day) pictures because I’m lazy. But in the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit that when I do see a great wall, I will stop for a quick (or not-so-quick, depending on who is on the other side of the phone) photo.
Now, coming to the part where you can (and will) judge me. I live my entire life on Instagram Stories. I take pictures of my candle-lit bath, magazine on one side, glass of rosé on the other. Because, you know, #RoseAllDay. I take pictures of my strawberries and sunflowers. Because #FarmersMarketLife. I take pictures of my laptop, hand lotion and coffee. Because #Tablescape.

I CAN’T TAKE JUST ONE PHOTO OF ANYTHING

I’ve been told I am incapable of cooking or eating or drinking (basically seeing) anything without whooshing out my phone. And it doesn’t have to be something trendy, like say a highly ’grammable mermaid toast. I am neither confirming nor denying that my husband has asked me if we must eat everything cold. He exaggerates. The added problem is that I can’t take just one photo of anything. It has to be many, many, many versions and only I can tell them apart. I have been paying 99 cents a month to Apple for extra storage. You can trace some of this behaviour from my food and beverage obsession but how does that explain my boomerang of walking to the gym?

The sheer joy attained from broadcasting every moment of my life on social media does not come cheap. I have had to pay a huge price for my addiction. The best friend had stopped calling. She assumed I was really busy “living it up”. Most of Mom’s texts begin with “You have time for Instagram but no time to call.” Colleagues have stopped asking me what I did on the weekend or how my vacation was. They saw it live, one Aperol Spritz at a time.

When I am not clicking pictures, I am busy scrolling. I have lied about checking work emails at a dinner party when in fact I was engaging with Mandy Moore’s green juice. Who knew addiction to social media makes you unsocial? Ironic isn’t it?

Instagram is one app that is constantly running in the background of my phone. The iPhone battery usage data is a testament to that.

It’s the first thing I check with eyes half-open. It’s the last thing I check with eyes half-shut. In between, I can scroll for hours on end and I have my very eclectic feed to thank (blame) for that. @priyankachopra’s midnight monologues and @leandramcohen’s chronicles of #lovesummerhateverythingelse is great for entertainment but I have also learnt a useful thing or two. I can now make a mean cheese plate thanks to @whatsgabycooking. I can also make that perfectly dishevelled @potterybarn-style bed. It’s tougher than it looks, not too different from the I-woke-up-like-that make-up masterclass.

And coming back to my posting addiction, I can slowly see myself back on those Stories. Something tells me the next flight will be far from fun. In the meantime, follow me on @shradhalikeprada. And don’t judge.

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PLACES WHERE I WASTE, ER, SPEND MOST OF MY INSTA TIME

@whowhatwear: Elevated style statements, one ootd at a time. If there’s a single place that makes me question my skinny-jean-with-everything uniform, this is it.

@apartmenttherapy: One day, I shall style my bookshelf like the pros. Till then, I shall continue to stalk this beautiful home inspo account.

@lattefiles: No one posts a more compelling latte than my friend Priyanka. Also, her gorgeous #dispatchfromthedesk.   

@mindykaling: Last Halloween, Mindy Kaling ‘liked’ my Mindy Lahiri costume on Instagram. For. Real. (But believe me, that’s not why I love this account. She’s funny AND fabulous and isn’t that the coolest mix?).

@sabyasachiofficial: This account can single-handedly cure my homesickness. The signature images, that familiar voice, it has that rare curated-yet-authentic vibe. 

— Shradha Agarwal
A forever t2 girl, Shradha is a fashion writer based in San Francisco