Isabelle Gibson is taking a break from Instagram, and she wants everyone to know about it.  

To spread the news, Isabelle herself played the role of modern town crier: posting on her Instagram story. Over a black screen, in the white Typewriter font, Isabelle typed the message, wondering how her followers would react:  

“Hey everyone…” 

She thought the ellipses would prepare them for what was to come… 

“I’m going to take an Instagram break, I’m logging off for a bit, text me if you need to contact me.” 

Isabelle’s fingers trembled as she hit the post button. As she refreshed her story and viewed it, she thought of herself as one of her followers, and what it would be like to read this message for the first time… To say the least, it was jarring. 

But Isabelle had to stay true to her word, so she deleted the Instagram app. Then she pivoted her attention to her iMessages app.  

She waited for the messages to flood in. All the people who used Instagram as the main way of contacting Isabelle now had to rewire their brains to text her instead. It was a big change, Isabelle realized, and she expected them to need some time before they sent their texts. 

But, after a day, then two days, then a week, then two weeks… Isabelle never received a text. She feared the worst – had her Instagram story never actually been published? A glitch? A mistake on her part? What could it be? 

Isabelle decided to redownload Instagram just for this one purpose – to investigate what had happened. There had to be some sort of explanation.  

So, she navigated to the archives section of her profile, clicked on her most recent story… Isabelle’s mouth fell agape… Viewed by 572 people?!?! 

Isabelle could feel the rage, the despair, the heartbreak, coursing through her veins. She went through the seven stages of grief in just five minutes.  

But then she went on Instagram reels and was emotionally healed.