Warning: My Dad Has Discovered Instagram Reels

My dad has discovered how to post Instagram Reels. As a result, I’m terrified to login to Instagram now.

My dad is not tech savvy. I’m reminded of this almost daily when he calls me shouting tech support questions.

Ex 1:
Dad: “Roy, how do I block eberbody from social media?”
Me: “Dad that’s what social media is…engaging with other people online.”
Dad: “I hate it. Eberbody so boring. How do I block this person?”
Roy: “…that’s your sister.”
Dad: “BLOCK! HOW DO I BLOCK!”
Roy: “Ok jeez you can just uninstall your social media accounts.”
Dad: “Estas loco! I watch my Shakira videos on Instagram!”
Roy: “You can watch Shakira on YouTube.”
Dad: “Ahhh nevermind, joo are so complicate. I thought you work in tech? Tech my ass HAHA!”

Ex 2:  
Dad: (ending phone call) “Ok gotta go I’m busy bye.”
Roy: “Alright love you bye.”
Dad: “…..”
Dad: “…....”
Dad: “………..Oh shit. How do I hang up?”
Roy: “Just press the red hang up button.”
Dad: “It’s not there.”
Roy: “What do you see?”
Dad: “Black screen. My face.”
Roy” “Dad just press the…”
Dad: “Nevermind, joo so bad at explaining I’m just going to turn off phone great tech support wow! Ciao ciao.”

He doesn’t know how to end a call but he has somehow figured out how to post an Instagram reel. The first reel he posted was backtracked by Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer.” It was a slideshow style reel, with images swapping out to the beat. On each image, there was text (that I think he copy/pasted from somewhere?) that had absolutely nothing to do with the image.

 “9/10, near perfect score for a summer bash!” and “wow, 7.2/10, a true bonanza” was the text pasted over photos of random things from around the house (the dogs’ bed, a crack in the wall, a dirty cup, a dead mosquito, a zoomed in photo of the dog’s face), the neighborhood (a dying tree, a poorly parked car), mixed with pictures of old photographs of my dad shirtless and flexing, and some unflattering photos of me and other family members.

He has since posted about 20 reels, in a span of 9 days. After a particularly concerning reel where he included a picture of my wife smiling while holding a golf club, immediately followed by a close-up photo of my bruised and swollen face (a photo I sent him 7 years ago after a soccer injury), I had to ask him…

“Dad, what’s with the reels? You have the same name as me, people are going to think I’ve gone crazy.”

“I have no idea. But they’re pretty cool, eh??!”