The day Instagram erased me
what I’ve learned about the psychology of online presence, performance, and power
Hi! I’m Katie, and I’m a cultural and social psychologist—but you can think of me as your BFF with a PhD. I’m also a travel curator, and I believe in the power of travel to inspire self-discovery, nurture your mental well-being, and create meaningful and magical memories. This post is part of The Atelier — a professional tier for boutique travel professionals building beautiful, intentional businesses. Inside The Atelier, you'll find thoughtful tools, behind-the-scenes strategies, and inspiration designed to support your growth—with purpose and personality. Become a member to join us inside The Atelier.
Three years ago, Instagram erased me. No warning. No explanation. Just—gone.
What vanished wasn’t just my social media profile. It was a living archive. A decade of travel, personal transformation, and micro-reflections. As a psychologist, I understood what had happened intellectually. But as a person, it felt like a quiet erasure of self. An unexpected identity death.
I did everything to recover it. You can’t, of course, call Meta. Users aren’t customers. The opposite, in fact. We’re the product. I filed appeals, emailed human contacts, called my cousin who once worked there, followed every digital breadcrumb. Nothing worked.
So eventually, I stopped.
I didn’t create a new account. I didn’t quietly return.
I let go.
And here’s the paradox. That loss became a turning point in my life.
This month marks three years since it happened. A strange milestone to acknowledge, maybe, but one I still find myself reflecting on each year.
At the time, it felt like being cast out of a world I hadn’t realized I was so deeply woven into. The grief was real. Not only because I lost social connections, but because I lost a part of how I had been making sense of my life. Publicly, yes. But also personally. It rattled something foundational in the core of who I was as an individual.
Over time, I would recognize that this was a liberation initially disguised as a loss.
This post is part of The Atelier — a professional tier for creative entrepreneurs and travel professionals building beautiful, intentional businesses. Inside The Atelier, you'll find thoughtful tools, behind-the-scenes strategies, and inspiration designed to support your growth—with purpose and personality. Want more like this? Become a member to receive future editions and join us inside The Atelier.