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Instagram

photo sharing app · in 81 videos (2012–2026)

Photo-sharing app Hank became obsessed with on vacation and that both brothers use to share things with viewers. They also see it as part of a social internet that scores and frames our lives; John quit it in 2018, and later picks it over Twitter and TikTok but still cannot stop.

Makes: Instagram Reels

Videos by year: 2012: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 7 · 2019: 12 · 2020: 6 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 13 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 14

Threads

Also named in the threads: John's teenage mistreatment of his body and later quitting smoking and running (c. 1993-2005) · An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: announcement and publication of Hank's first novel (2017) · John: tour with Hank and Sarah for A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor and You Are an Artist (2020) · Good Store: the brothers' store and subscription box at good.store giving all profit to charity (2023) · John asks viewers to press Danaher and Cepheid to cut GeneXpert TB test cartridges to $5 (2023) · Hollywood, Ending: announcement and publication of John's novel (2026)

Often together

What comes up in the same parts of the videos; the number is how many parts.

Facebook (25) · TikTok (18) · Twitter (29) · Reddit (11) · attention economy (9) · recommender system (9) · YouTube (26) · Tumblr (7) · Sharpie (3) · social media (4)

What the videos say

The most important statements of each year; all statements.

2012

  • 2012-07-27 · Tumblr: The Musical — Hank found the YouTube channel AVbyte, which makes a new musical every week, after someone linked him their Instagram musical; he emailed them proposing a Tumblr musical starring him. — 00:02:23
  • …and 1 statement more in 2012 — all statements of 2012

2013

  • 2013-05-24 · What's Up with Start Ups — Hank says Tumblr made $15 million last year (2012) and sold for $1.1 billion, about 75 times revenue, with no profit; Instagram sold for a billion having never made money. — 00:00:00
    • Hank says buyers are not paying for revenue or even potential revenue: what is valued is the user who spends time on the site; he spends time, not money, on Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr. — 00:00:42
  • 2013-08-30 · Raw Onion, Twerking, and Speech Jam — Hank says Nerdfighteria is his biggest inspiration: when he lacks a video idea he asks on Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram, and this video is made from their suggestions. — 00:00:10
  • …and 1 statement more in 2013 — all statements of 2013

2014

Also named in: 54 JOKES! In Four Minutes!, Lacey and Angela Question Tuesday: Pizzamas Day 2

2015

  • 2015-01-27 · Will Life Get Better for the Poor? — John says we do not actually live in two worlds; it only feels so because no one in his neighborhood, or whom he follows on Tumblr, Twitter or Instagram, has stunted kids. — 00:02:34
  • 2015-09-25 · Pissed Off for a Better World — ask: Hank asks viewers who promote the Global Goals to use the hashtags #globalgoals and #nfgg so the brothers can see what they're up to, and maybe retweet or share it. — video description
    • Hank tells viewers to get angry: choose the Global Goal that resonates most, draw it on their face with eyeliner or Sharpie, and share it on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. — 00:01:52
    • Hank hopes whoever is watching will be inspired to share this with the people around them and in their community. (hedged) — 00:03:22
  • 2015-11-20 · On Mental Illness (and the end of Pizzamas) — John reminds viewers that what we see in videos or on Instagram isn't the whole story: he could not hide being unwell from friends and family, but can with jump cuts. — 00:03:01

2016

2017

  • 2017-04-18 · Framing — John asks viewers to remember, when they envy an Instagram photo, that somebody framed that shot, as we all frame our lives. — 00:02:29
  • 2017-05-30 · What Should We Keep? — John says Facebook and Instagram will likely be around for decades, if not centuries, and many people back up their work and photos to the cloud. (hedged) — 00:02:26
  • 2017-10-24 · Tour Bus Bus Tour — announcement: The description says viewers can track the signed plastic turtles left at every stop of the tour by following John on Instagram at johngreenwritesbooks. — video description
    • John is hiding signed plastic turtles in Chamberlain, South Dakota; they leave them at every stop, with hints to their locations on his Instagram story. — 00:03:04

2018

  • 2018-01-16 · My Hollywood Star, Brexit Pears, and Hank's Book: It's QUESTION TUESDAY — John doesn't know how to stop worrying but thinks 'living your life to the fullest' is flawed: jumping out of a plane isn't better than reading, nor an Instagram-worthy life more meaningful than a quiet one. (hedged) — 00:03:17
  • 2018-03-06 · The Broccoli Tree: A Parable — John: A photographer who passes a broccoli-shaped tree near Lake Vättern on his commute posts an iPhone picture of it to Instagram in spring 2013; 43 people like it. — 00:00:20
    • By April 2014 he gives the tree its own Instagram; its audience grows into the thousands and in summer 2015 he exhibits his photographs at the tree itself. — 00:00:52
    • On September 27, 2017 the photographer finds the tree sawed; he posts that you cannot unsaw a tree, and a few days later the tree is gone. — 00:02:12
  • 2018-05-08 · Old Man Yells at Cloud — John: The internet pulls John back: he doesn't want to miss out, wants to share his work, books he loves and causes he cares about, and feels an almost physical urge to check. — 00:02:32
  • 2018-07-31 · On Prepositions — John says 'on the phone' always bothered him: it once meant being on a call, but now covers texting, Instagram or Fortnite, and we are not standing on our phones. — 00:01:58
  • 2018-08-03 · How Do Adults Make Friends? — Hank guesses that as we age, meeting more people not worth befriending and valuing romance, money, power or Instagram likes, we less readily value others or are valued by them. (speculative) — 00:02:29
  • 2018-10-12 · Hank Reads from 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing' — announcement: Hank says, as Twitter followers may already know, he used part of his book advance to fund independent artists to make art based on the book; the pieces are on his Instagram. — 00:18:56
  • 2018-11-06 · Taking a Year Off — John spends something like 20 hours a week on Facebook, Reddit, Instagram and Twitter, mostly scrolling and skimming, and his attention has become extremely fractured. (hedged) — 00:00:00
    • John's first problem: he lacks the willpower to resist the allure of Facebook, Reddit, Instagram and Twitter. — 00:01:27
    • John will take a year off: he will block Facebook, Reddit, Instagram and Twitter from his browsers and truly dumb down his phone so he cannot access them. — 00:02:26
    • The year off starts next month (December 2018) when the Project for Awesome ends; on YouTube things stay much the same, with a Vlogbrothers video every week. — 00:02:55
  • …and 4 statements more in 2018 — all statements of 2018

2019

  • 2019-01-01 · How to Make Goals, Not Resolutions — announcement: John: As discussed in a previous video, John aims to post zero times to Twitter, Reddit, Instagram and Facebook; easy in principle, but he is worried he can't do it. — 00:02:17
  • 2019-01-08 · I Quit Social Media. Here's How It's Going — John: Tomorrow John will be one month into his year without social media; he left the platforms because he couldn't regulate his time or experience there and checked his phone hundreds of times a day. — 00:00:03
    • John will stay off social media for the rest of the year; he doesn't know that he recommends it generally, but it is necessary for him to discover what lies beyond boredom. — 00:03:30
  • 2019-01-29 · Do You Believe in Miracles? — announcement: The description says John adapted recent vlogbrothers videos into a Washington Post op-ed about his experience quitting social media. — video description
  • 2019-03-05 · Way, Way Down the Rabbit Hole — John says the Life's Library news is something he would have tweeted, but he doesn't have Twitter. — 00:03:24
  • 2019-05-14 · An Open Letter to Professional YouTubers — John: Last lesson, quoting Hank: diversify your identity; when friends, family, walks and Instagram all become your job, you can stop thinking of yourself as John Green the person, husband, father, AFC Wimbledon sponsor, avowed Hufflepuff, and see only John Green YouTuber. — 00:02:55
  • 2019-05-24 · The Monterey Bay Aquarium Has a Secret — recommendation: Hank thanks the Monterey Bay Aquarium and its social media team, among the best in the world at science social media; following them on Twitter or Instagram is an absolute joy. — 00:07:12
  • 2019-05-28 · 3 Minutes and 58 Seconds of Darkness — John asks how we can see an image as both real and distorted, and stay aware that however much a camera captures, of the sky, Instagram feeds or vlogs, it fails to capture almost everything. — 00:02:12
  • 2019-11-07 · I took a year off social media. Here's what happened. — John says that about 11 months ago he decided to take a year away from Twitter, Reddit, Instagram and Facebook, and gives an update on how it has gone. — 00:00:00
    • John likes his life much more now: his average daily phone time has fallen by more than 80% and he is getting more work done. — 00:01:27
    • John is not going back to Twitter, Reddit, Instagram or Facebook, not because they are evil but because right now they don't work for him; he is happier and more productive without them. — 00:02:15
  • 2019-12-10 · On Loneliness — John: Quitting the social internet helped his loneliness, since he used those platforms unhealthily, in superficial connection that left him feeling deeply alone. — 00:03:09
  • …and 3 statements more in 2019 — all statements of 2019

Also named in: My New Obsession

2020

  • 2020-01-07 · Endings · Beginnings — John also wants to continue not losing large swaths of his life scrolling through Twitter as dread washes over him. — 00:03:09 · also in: Looking Back at My 2020 Goals
  • 2020-01-14 · Foolish · Beautiful — John asks Hank whether he should go back to his sports Twitter account, @sportswithjohn, rather than regular Twitter. — 00:03:11
  • 2020-03-03 · Consciously Experiencing Human Dignity — announcement: John says he and Sarah will tour together in support of the book, with dates announced March 9th on her Instagram. — 00:03:24
  • 2020-05-05 · YOU'RE AN ALL STAR! — recommendation: John recommends Rebecca's beautiful Instagram art project about traffic cones, Cone Life, and says he loves Nerdfighteria. — 00:00:50
  • 2020-07-07 · You're a Rock Star — John: Hank's first book, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, was the main reason John quit using the social internet in 2018. — 00:01:56
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — Hank grants TikTok has problems but questions whether it is more of a security concern than Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. — 00:00:46
    • Hank says almost all TikTokers would like to be YouTubers or Instagrammers, which does not surprise him; there are good reasons to want that. — 00:01:35

2021

2022

Also named in: Planets Don't Exist

2023

  • 2023-09-12 · Barely Contained Rage: An Open Letter to Danaher and Cepheid — ask: The description asks viewers to let Danaher and Cepheid know how they feel on social media, linking Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. — video description
    • John asks viewers to spend five minutes calling or emailing via the linked contacts and to tell Danaher on social media they won't accept this injustice. — 00:06:24
    • John says Danaher is on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Threads, and he and Hank will be in all those places amplifying viewers' messages. — 00:06:44
  • …and 1 statement more in 2023 — all statements of 2023

2024

  • 2024-02-23 · The Juiciest Hank in the World — Hank shows a crystal wizard hat he commissioned from an artist who goes by the Felt Forge on Instagram, perfect for a livestream. — 00:04:39
  • 2024-02-27 · I Was Wrong about the Average American — John: Jessica spends 30 to 60 minutes a day outside, so she spends more time on Instagram than outdoors. — 00:02:26
  • 2024-03-26 · I Own Danaher — John notes negative publicity for Danaher in the Washington Post and on Threads, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, including a lower-your-test-prices Flappy Bird he finds utterly addictive. (playful) — 00:03:54
  • 2024-08-02 · My Letter to the Future — Hank predicts Americans in 100 years will not know what Twitter was and barely know Facebook or TikTok, but will still carry phones and watch YouTube videos. — 00:03:20
  • 2024-08-07 · Dear Hank and John Livestream! — John agrees YouTube is probably the only social platform with that solidity; he feels Facebook, Twitter and especially TikTok crumbling, Instagram maybe more solid. (hedged) — 00:15:05
  • 2024-08-27 · How The Internet Is Rigged — John: Agreeing with Hank's Friday video, John says YouTube differs from TikTok, Reddit, Facebook and Instagram, which take content, monetize it and give users only an audience and karma. — 00:04:06
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank thinks TikTok's greatest advantage over Instagram and YouTube, besides being first, was simply that it was cooler. — 00:02:26
  • 2024-09-24 · The Forgotten Viral Video that Could Never be Made Today — Hank's subject is a celebrity collab made before smartphones, YouTube, Instagram and Homestar Runner, so pure and goofy it could only exist in a world that did not know viral videos. — 00:00:00
    • Hank counts Gal Gadot's Instagram video of celebrities singing John Lennon's Imagine in many keys among the pandemic's harms, though far down the list. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • 2024-11-22 · Populism, Media Revolutions, and Our Terrible Moment — Hank contrasts a reporter's six months and a bureaucrat's four years with RFK Jr., who would attack the FDA across platforms and podcasts within a day, prioritizing views. (playful) — 00:17:27
  • …and 4 statements more in 2024 — all statements of 2024

2025

  • 2025-05-30 · My Rare 'Disorder' — Hank thinks there is a population-wide self-control aspect, but mostly about putting down the phone and not letting Instagram hijack your amygdala, which all sleep phases struggle with. (playful) — 00:01:27
  • 2025-06-24 · Am I Cigarettes? — John cannot stop: as he chose Nicorette over cigarettes, he picks the healthier-for-him Instagram and Bluesky over Twitter and TikTok, but he cannot stop using the social internet. — 00:03:26
    • John did quit for a couple of years, a very productive time in some ways, but he missed the connection and the high. — 00:03:40
    • Being active in Nerdfighteria is only a small part of why he stays: he could be a good member without many-to-many spaces like Bluesky and Instagram, via videos, comments and well-moderated spaces. — 00:04:06
  • 2025-10-06 · The Web is Going to Die — Hank says that someday we will have moved on from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram; he doesn't know to what, but unlike London or Detroit they will not simply evolve. — 00:04:23
  • 2025-10-21 · Is Book Publishing Dying? An Author's Perspective — John says hardcover books can now cost $27 or $30, while TikTok and Instagram are free unless you count the cost of your attention. — 00:03:52
  • …and 1 statement more in 2025 — all statements of 2025

2026

  • 2026-01-30 · Has Anyone Ever Accidentally Seen me Naked (Question Tuesday on a Friday) — Hank predicts a reversal of fortune for content platforms: in a thousand years Facebook will at most be mentioned in a history book, a relic like gasoline cars. — 00:03:54
  • 2026-02-14 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 4! — announcement: John made an Instagram video about the first birth at the Maternal Center of Excellence and says he may make a Vlogbrothers video about it. (hedged) — 01:00:24
  • 2026-03-03 · The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received — John's envelope concluded it was not enough money to matter without daily videos; that was wrong, as it has mattered for many, the brothers included. — 00:01:49
  • 2026-03-27 · What is 'Slop' (and why it gives me hope) — Hank found an Instagram video of a kid doing a cool dance and, before sharing it with Katherine, studied its frames for two minutes to make sure it was not AI; it was not. — 00:01:14
  • 2026-06-02 · The Instagramification of Human Experience — John: Warhol kind of saw the Instagramification of human experience coming: screens would reshape our relationship not only with pleasure but with fear and outrage. — 00:02:55
  • 2026-08-18 · My Nemeses — John: Last week (week of 10 August 2026) John made an Instagram video praising the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles that also criticized Indiana's lieutenant governor. — 00:02:28
  • 2026-09-15 · YouTube Says This Video Has 683,183 Views, It Actually Has 312,584 — John says that in the last month YouTube, borrowing from Instagram and TikTok, began counting a view when anyone watches any frame, instead of after an unknown number of seconds. — 00:01:27
    • John says the extra views bring no more revenue or deep community engagement: most are 'trash views', as on Instagram and TikTok. — 00:02:26
  • 2026-10-01 · Are We Still YouTubers? — Hank finds it weird that classes of creators are named after the company owning their platform (YouTuber, TikToker, Instagram influencer); YouTuber is at least better than Instagram influencer. — 00:00:00
  • 2026-10-02 · the most powerful attention-consuming tools in the history of the world — John gives examples: reading Hollywood, Ending, his publisher and he capture your attention's value; this video he splits with Google; on Instagram Meta captures almost all of it. — 00:01:27
  • 2026-10-30 · The Last Normal Year — Hank says Twitter and Instagram switched to algorithmic feeds in 2016. — 00:01:59
    • Hank says AI controls what we see: not LLMs, though they are increasingly part of it, but AI decides which YouTube thumbnails we see, what is in our Threads, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feeds, and what comes next when swiping. — 00:07:09
  • …and 11 statements more in 2026 — all statements of 2026