^^^RIght. I think there is an app - Deskgram - that will allow you to post from a desktop/laptop but Instagram is meant to be a phone to app application.
Mine is on private setting and there is an option to put the location attached to the photo. I do not recall a phone number showing up.
I am talking about your photos metadata. I don’t want to share that with Instagram.
https://www.iotransfer.net/tips/photo-metadata-iphone-1050.php
^^I wouldn’t want the location shared, so would turn that off. I don’t ‘see’ the intrusion on anything in the metadata that that link makes clear…well, maybe the time and date the photo was taken comes pretty close to home. Otherwise, nothing.
But I share nothing on those sites, anyway.
It bothers me that my kids have befriended a mother of some kids (she has more than one/different graduation classes) from their school, and that she comments on their pages.
You would be surprised what can be gathered from metadata. 
One of my favorite instagram accounts to follow belongs to a relative who lives in San Francisco. He mostly posts random photos of old vaccuum cleaners sitting on the side of the street. Not pretentious, not highly currated, slices of urban life. I post almost nothing, but follow a variety of friends, families, institutions, famous people.
I do find the extremely currated accounts of “influencers” and of people attempting to become influencers irritating. I want to see something real once in awhile.
My San Francisco relative alos posts seasonal photos of things like completely brown Christmas trees set out on the curb in March,
I’ll be honest and say that I don’t like when someone joins Instagram (or Facebook) to just “look” at other people and don’t contribute themselves. Purely my opinion but that’s like “peeping Tom” to me! If someone follows you it’s because they would be interested to see what you have to share - meaning, they hold interest and value in you!
Doesn’t have to be daily posts but to see “0” posts but following 200 people seems like creeping instead of joining in.
I know others will disagree with me.
@abasket I agree it’s creepy. But I think sometimes that happens when someone joins and then realizes they aren’t actually that interested in posting stuff. Or you start thinking your stuff isn’t worth posting. I guess it’s time for me to find another painting to take a picture of!
I follow my kids and s few others on Instagram, but I actually hate it. The “temporary” posts (when you tap the circle at the top) go by too fast. I have to keep going back to get a good look at them. It is like Snapchat, which I also hate and finally refused to use with my kids.
@intparent If you put your finger on the screen and hold down of the “story” page you need more time to look it it will pause still.
I’m on it mainly to follower my younger son, who is in the entertainment industry and posts lots of interesting stuff to me. And he has a regular weekly feature that helps feel connected. I also follow a few friends and up-and-comers in the business who he knows, plus some politicians and random others. I am a lurker and never post. I am not interested in the influencers at all.
I follow my kids (18 & 21). I set up an account 3 years ago when both were in high school. I made it a (soft) requirement that I follow them. It was fun to see what they post. Plus I think it’s important to have rules in general in what you post. So having mom follow you automatically made them post respectable posts. It’s funny because their friends like me so they all requested to follow me. I post pics occasionally. My kids do criticize my posts if I do something wrong. Such as 1) post more then one post per day 2) you should preferably post only once per week 3) I like hashtags but apparently they are not “in” 4) don’t write a “book” and lastly 5) some pictures are not Insta worthy in their eyes. I haven’t figured out why. (I think they are more “artsy” with their posts.) But I like what I post. Unfortunately sometimes when I post something I really like I immediately get a text from one of them “take it down” #ohwhatdoiknow, #justamom, #sonotcool, #whatever, #yolo (last one’s my favorite)
^^Maybe that’s when you block your kids from your account. When they are starting to tell you what you can or can’t post (unless it involves them somehow!)
I agree that hashtags can get out of hand. The purpose of a hashtag should be to be able to click the hashtag and see related posts - like a location, a certain item (#antiquetoys). If your account is private #hashtags can’t be found anyway except for your followers.
@abasket I would never block my kids. I only have Instagram so I can keep up with what they post. ?
@Stuffedquahog , well it sound like you also have it so you can post! Cause you are! 
Blocking them was slightly in cheek, but also if they are telling you (often) what you can or can’t post…and sounds like have made a list of rules…
I’ve been working on my Instagram account since you started this post. I’ve followed a few celebrities I like and finding more friends. I decided to keep it smaller than FB. Not sure if I’ll use it a lot, but I feel I’m behind the times not doing so.
One cool thing about instagram is that you can post to instagram and also post the same on Facebook. My daughter does that, her friends are on Instagram and old relatives on Facebook! I like to send memes to my D through pm and instagram is great for that.
When you post pictures on instagram, it will ask you if you want to post also to Facebook. That way I can use all the hashtags 
My ds also criticized my FB hostages,saying I wasn’t using them correctly. I get what he’s saying, but I don’t care. I use them as asides, like breaking the fourth wall, not so people can find my posts.
I realized that I didn’t like the “social” media aspect of Facebook, so stopped posting there and used Instagram to get over my addiction. I limited the people following me on Instagram to about 10 good friends/family members, including my husband and daughter. And then I followed a bunch of accounts that are things that only I’m interested in-I find I use Instagram a lot like pinterest. #gardeninspiration - that kind of thing. I do post my own pictures, just to save memories or enjoyment. I know every social media site has issues, but Instagram feels a lot less invasive than Facebook. I’m not automatically shown other peoples likes or comments. And they are not shown mine! I like it a lot.