Last Updated on July 3, 2022 by Team CrazyJackz
Facing your toxic ex after your breakup can be frustrating and disheartening at the same time. It’s like someone is constantly stabbing you over and over again. And if Instagram, the very social media site you use during your leisure time, comes up to do so then you will feel frustrated and angry.
This situation can automatically raise a question in your mind: what makes Instagram do this to me? Why does my ex come up in my Instagram suggestions? What does it mean? Is it only me or happens with other people too? If this is happening to others too then what is the reason behind this? And what exactly are they doing to avoid such a situation? Let us see..
Why does my Ex come up in my Instagram suggestions?
The answer to your question is simple: Instagram algorithms. No, it’s not any person or authority working at Instagram, it’s a software program that tracks your every move on Instagram starting from how much time you spend daily on Instagram? What posts do you like? What posts do you report or dislike? What are you most interested in? And likewise.
So then let’s talk about what exactly is an Instagram algorithm and how it works. The literal meaning of an algorithm is a set of rules that needs to be followed while addressing a certain problem. Same way the Instagram algorithm decides what content and in what order the contents should be delivered to the users to make it more systematic and appropriate.
The Instagram algorithm keeps an account of everything you are doing on Instagram without certainly affecting your privacy. It keeps track of – Who you follow? What posts do you like the most? And what things might interest you? and arrange them on your Instagram newsfeed. The algorithm is quite helpful as it distinguishes your interests and brings them to you. The same applies to account suggestions: it keeps track of everything and then suggests people, you may want to follow who you aren’t following yet, based on your activity.
6 Reasons Why Your Ex Comes Up In Your Instagram Suggestions: What does it Mean?
Now that you are well aware of what the Instagram algorithm is and how it works, let’s talk about how it scrutinizes the account suggestion. This can be done in a lot of ways. Let’s go one step at a time.
1. Your Ex is in your contact list or Vice versa:
Instagram asks for your permission to link your phone’s contact list with Instagram. If you press the allow button for the same, then it automatically exports your saved contact list and starts syncing it to your Instagram account.
And if your ex from your contact list is available on Instagram it’ll suggest their name as “suggested for you”. Now it’s completely your call whether you want to give Instagram access to your contacts list or not.
2. You and your Ex are friends on Facebook:
There is another feature on Instagram wherein they will ask for your permission to link your Facebook account with your Instagram profile.
If you allow them to link both the accounts then also they will scan your Facebook friends and suggest their profiles to you if you don’t follow them on Instagram already. So if you and your ex are still friends on Facebook, then this could be the reason why Instagram could be showing your ex’s profile in the suggestions.
3. You and Your Ex have mutual friends on Instagram:
If you and your ex both share a large number of mutual friends and connections then the Instagram algorithm will develop an idea that you might belong to a similar friend group and you are friends too.
So in order to get you two to connect, Instagram will suggest your ex’s account to you.
4. Your Ex is in the same Location as yours (From the location info):
You might wonder why exactly Instagram needs your location permission, here is the answer. If your phone’s GPS or location is on and you are crossing by a locality and at the same time, your ex is also crossing the same street with their phone’s GPS or location on, then the Instagram algorithm starts analyzing that you are friends with the other person and you both are traveling or roaming together and will suggest their name to help you connect to them.
However, this could also mean that your ex could be chasing you secretly and following you to the same places you are visiting quite recently. If not why do you think he/she is constantly having the same location as yours?
5. From similar content:
If you follow a lot of other accounts with similar content as that of your ex, then too, the Instagram algorithm will guess that you are interested in such type of content, and to keep you busy and interested in their app it’ll suggest you their account.
6. Your Ex might be Stalking you or Vice versa:
Yeah well, this can be a reason too, the one you were guessing from the very beginning. It can be either way, meaning, it might be because of your ex stalking you or because of you stalking them.
The Instagram algorithm gets a clear picture from this stalking activity that you both know each other and are not connected through Instagram, hence it suggests you to follow them.
What to do if your ex keeps popping up in your Instagram suggestions? How do you remove them?
Now that you know the reasons behind why your ex’s account keeps popping up every time on your Instagram suggestions. Now let’s focus on what you can do to avoid this situation:
- Deleting your ex’s contact:
You can delete their contact number from your phone or unlink your contact information from Instagram to avoid such a situation from happening in the future. They are your ex and you should not feel any hesitation deleting any means of contact with them so I don’t see a bigger problem in this.
- Removing your ex from your Facebook:
You can block your ex on Facebook to avoid them on Instagram suggestions. If blocking sounds too harsh or rude then you can always opt for unfriending them. This way he/she will be out of your friend list and Instagram suggestions without making a fuss about it.
- Reporting your ex:
There is a great feature on Instagram to help you keep your account away from stalkers and bad people and that is reporting.
Go to your ex’s profile home page, on the top right corner you will find three dots, click on that and the first option that’ll show up will be ” Report…” simply click on that option and then click on the second option in the next interface which is “report this account” and you will never see your ex’s account anywhere any further.
- Take a break:
The best way is for you to take a break from social media and focus on yourself. This way you can avoid your ex as well as concentrate on self-care.
I understand how overwhelming heartbreaks can be and also know the hardest part is to move on from someone you thought of spending an eternity with. The only way to do so is by cutting them off of your life completely at least for some time if not forever.
I know it’s easier said than done and if someone else (even if it is Instagram) keeps on reminding you about them it’s heartbreaking as well as frustrating. Here to sum this whole article up I’ll suggest you to delete them completely from your life and even not to have any means of communication with them. I’ll further recommend you to decide on any option that you think will help you with your problem and opt for it without further hesitation or delay.
- How Adoption Creates Families of Love and Joy? - April 13, 2024
- Heyoka and Narcissist: When a Heyoka Empath Meets a Narcissist - October 18, 2022
- 7 Reasons Why A Capricorn Man Disappears After Intimacy (and What You Can Do About It!) - October 18, 2022