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Pitfalls in the pursuit of Instagram fantasy lives

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"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?" mused singer Freddie Mercury in the opening lines of Queen's 1975 hit Bohemian Rhapsody.

Instagram users may now also be wondering the same as they browse the photos posted by their favourite social media influencers.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on June 24, 2018, with the headline Pitfalls in the pursuit of Instagram fantasy lives. Subscribe