Instagram Cause of Dissatisfaction Amongst Homeowners in North West

THERE are more people using Instagram for interiors inspiration than ever before, but 60% of Instagram users in the North West feel dissatisfied with their homes after looking at images of other people's houses on social media, a study has found.

Researchers who polled 1,500 UK adults using social media for inspiration with their homes, found that just 25% of people in the North West are completely satisfied with the appearance of their current home. A whopping 80% of those who are displeased with their home admit to feeling this way once a month or more after scrolling through other properties on Instagram, with 25 to 34 year olds feeling dissatisfied most frequently. Over 1 in 10 admitted to feeling critical of their own home several times a day after comparing with other properties on Instagram.

The findings describe people having an unrealistic idea of what their home should look like, spending time worrying about flaws which would be unnoticeable to others, whilst feeling pressure to maintain a certain appearance in their home and being self conscious of it in front of visitors. This mindset has been described by Chartered Psychologist, Dr David Lewis, as:- 'Home Dysmorphic Disorder' (HDD).

Dr Lewis explains:- "Our home is our shop window to the world. An outward and visible display of the way we want others to see and judge us. This is challenged when we are exposed, especially through social media such as Instagram, to the choices of others. The more comparisons we are able to make with the ways others present themselves to the world, the greater the dissatisfaction we may feel with our own surroundings. The more individuals worry about what friends, neighbours, and colleagues think of them, and this is more likely to be a concern for younger than older people, the greater their dissatisfaction. It is an increasingly common mindset that can be described as 'Home Dysmorphic Disorder' (HDD). The problem is changing 1 small item in a room can lead to an overwhelming desire to make major changes to their environment. This is sometimes known as the 'Diderot Effect' after the French writer. The 'Diderot Effect' typically starts with discontent about 1, often minor, feature; such as an ornament, picture or item of furniture. It then quickly spreads, like an oil slick, to trigger unhappiness with the whole room or even the entire house."

The phenomenon effects both genders but women are most at risk of developing HDD, with the fairer sex found to be 22% more likely to be affected by this, compared to men. Young homeowners are most likely to be dissatisfied with their homes after looking at images of other people's houses on Instagram, with 18 to 24 year olds being found to be most unhappy with their homes.

Commissioned by leading door and window brand, Origin, the survey found that many people have taken steps to make their home look more 'Insta worthy.' These include changing the interior, purchasing home accessories specifically because they will look good on Instagram and feeling pressure to be tidier than they used to be to maintain an Instagram look.

Ben Brocklesby, Director at Origin, said:- "We know that Instagram is a fantastic tool for gaining inspiration for your house and that many people find the time they spend looking at other people's homes on the platform a very positive experience. Indeed, 84% of the people we surveyed feel that social media is useful in giving inspiration and advice on styling their home. However, it is important to remember that the perfect homes we see on Instagram are not always a true reflection of the homes that people live their lives in. Our work is centred around helping people release the living potential of their houses to create a beautiful as well as functional family home. We know how key natural light is for healthy happy homes; and a great Instagram photo; and our products deliver this in abundance. But houses are not just staged Instagram sets, they need to function as working family homes too, and be a great and happy place to live. Our campaign is encouraging people to share unstyled images of their homes using #OriginInstaReality, to help counter feelings of HDD and celebrate family homes in all their real glory."

36% of those surveyed felt that their home is messier than other people's or have been self conscious about people visiting their home as it doesn't look like something from Instagram. Over 5% of people even admitted to falling out with family members in a bid to keep their home looking:- 'Insta worthy.'

Many have even spent money in a bid to recreate an:- 'Insta Home,' with people in the North West spending an average of ₤355 on their homes as a result of being inspired by the social media platform. It was also found that men are likely to splash more cash than women. Homeowners aged 45 to 54 spend the most in their quest for an 'Insta worthy home,' splashing out an average of ₤530 after being inspired by Instagram.

Claire Isherwood from London spent a significant sum on her home in a bid to recreate a perfect 'Insta worthy' home. "When we began renovations on our kitchen last year I massively relied on Instagram for inspiration and found myself spending money on items specifically because I knew they would look good on my Instagram feed," Claire explains. "Social media is a great resource for sharing creative ideas and interiors inspiration is no exception. Even without realising it, interior trends and the look of our homes will be influenced by others' homes; it's a modern day 'keep up with the Jones.' I would estimate I have spent ₤20,000 in total in a bid to make my home look like those I have seen on Instagram. Items I've bought have included a Loaf sofa, hanging plants, a bespoke shelving unit made from reclaimed scaffolding boards and poles, a bespoke concrete dining table with distressed metal legs and exposed brick walls, as well as the main refurbishment. Myself and my fiancé are very happy with the way our home looks now and are satisfied we have achieved the 'Insta look.' However, it's likely we would have spent significantly less on our home if we hadn't been influenced so heavily by the perfect homes we see on our newsfeeds every day."

Paula Flack from London has also suffered the effects of viewing perfect 'Insta Worthy' homes online. "I often feel down about my home as a result of comparing it to the houses that I see online. I increasingly feel the pressure to create a picture perfect home and have even found myself staring at rooms in my house trying to work out if I could create a space that looks 'Insta worthy.' I have even gone as far as ordering products that I have seen on other people's Instagram accounts in an attempt to make my house looking more 'Insta worthy,' but they never look the same in my home and I still can't recreate the looks I've seen. I've even considered redecorating whole rooms just to fit with the really popular rugs I have seen on social media, but I don't think that would go down well with my family! It is particularly difficult when you have children. I would love my sons' rooms to look like ones I see on Instagram, but don't see how this can be possible when my children want to use their bedrooms to play."

For further information on Origin, please visit:- Origin-Global.Com.

Grassroots organisations share ₤135,000 pot to build stronger, safer communities

PROJECTS which tackle knife crime, provide intensive support for vulnerable young people and protect them from grooming are among 14 grassroots initiatives which have been awarded funding from the region's Police Commissioner to build safer, stronger communities.

The initiatives have been awarded a share of ₤135,000 from Jane Kennedy's Crime Prevention Fund which gives community organisations a vital cash boost to help cut crime and protect neighbourhoods.

It is the 4th time the Commissioner has invited applications to the fund, which offers grants of between ₤5,000 and ₤25,000 to support community safety projects. The aim is to prevent problems from occurring by reducing the opportunities for crime, and by deterring people from becoming involved in anti social and illegal behaviour. A total of 75 applications were received, with bidding requests totalling more than ₤1.2m.

The successful recipients include Employability Solutions, which has been awarded ₤12,000 to deliver a project called:- 'Platform for Change' and will work with Merseyside Police and other partners to deliver awareness sessions to young people on the dangers of knife crime.

Kirkdale Neighbourhood Co. Ltd will receive ₤12,000 to pilot an early intervention programme designed to provide intensive support to young people at risk of getting involved with crime, while the Gautby Road Play and Community Centre also received ₤10,000 to run intensive preventative intervention courses for young people aged 13-15 who are at risk of being offenders.

Talk the Talk Education CIC have also been awarded ₤6,000 to work with young people in some of the most deprived wards of Liverpool, while M.A.L.S (Mentor, Achieve, Learn and Support) Merseyside will run intensive 1 on 1 sessions with young people involved in crime and their families, aiming to change their behaviour and protect them from exploitation.

Jane said:- "There was an overwhelming response to this invitation to bid for funding. The number and quality of the bids I received demonstrates the passion and dedication among community groups across Merseyside who wish to prevent crime and keep their areas safe. Unfortunately, I can only support a small number of these fantastic initiatives, but I believe the projects which have been awarded funding will be able to use these small grants to make a big difference. Many of these projects focus on supporting, advising and guiding young people away from making poor life choices to make sure they have a brighter future. Not only does this potentially save a young person from a life of crime, it can have a huge benefit for their family, make the community a nicer place to live and reduce the demand on the Police and other public services. It is also important to recognise that many of these young people are being coerced, groomed or exploited into carrying out those activities on behalf of others and they need our support to take them away from danger and ensure they can enjoy their childhoods. As always, I'm looking forward to watching the progress and achievements of these projects over the next 12 months."

Also among the successful organisations were the Royal Court Liverpool Trust who were awarded ₤20,000 to build on the success of hard hitting drama Terriers, by running a new production called:- 'Eve's Story,' which has been created to engage with young people on a range of issues including knife crime and child sexual and criminal exploitation.

The Commissioner also awarded ₤12,000 to educational charity, Ariel Trust, to help develop a suite of drama based anti violence education resources, using script writing and interactive animation. This will enable the charity to run face to face sessions with vulnerable young people using drama, film and dance to increase their understand of issues including sexual exploitation and domestic abuse and give them the skills to keep themselves safe, and provide education programmes that can be used in schools.

The funding will also be used for projects designed to prevent the exploitation of people with a learning disability, provide extra security for victims of domestic abuse and provide 1 to 1 advocacy support for adults with a disability or vulnerability.

Organisations which applied for the funding needed to show how their project would work to tackle the objectives set out in the Commissioner's Police and Crime Plan. Applications also needed to demonstrate how the initiative would reduce the number of people entering the criminal justice system, or lower reoffending. They were also assessed to see how well they would protect vulnerable communities.

The Crime Prevention Fund is administered by the Community Foundation for Merseyside (CFM), an independent charity which assists grant-making and charitable giving. CFM's Community Philanthropy Manager James Proctor said:- "Once again we are proud to be working with Merseyside's Police Commissioner and administering the Crime Prevention Fund. This fund is very popular and the decision making panel had some extremely difficult choices to make with so many valuable projects presented. We feel the projects supported will make a huge impact in communities and wish them every success."