My Photo Album
“Instagram is for spontaneous posts only," “Posting on instagram takes too much time," and “My posts are too boring to post on Instagram” are all common misconceptions when using Instagram. Sure, many people post aesthetically pleasing pictures on Instagram that glamorize many individuals' lifestyles, but realistically there are billions of people using Instagram today that do not think about edits, captions, locations, and emojis. I believe that Instagram should stop being looked at in a negative light by both old and young people alike because it offers numerous benefits. Instagram has been used since 2010 by over 600 million people. I was a little late to the Instagram “game” in comparison to my friends, probably because my mom thought it would be best to not provide me with a phone until the eighth grade (so embarrassing). I moved from Connecticut to Arizona in eighth grade and, to this day, I think Instagram saved many of my friendships. I know that sounds pathetic, but when you move across the country, the world doesn’t stop. Life goes on. It was a way for me to see what my best friends had going on in their lives.
Just like trends change in fashion, cars, and electronics, trends most definitely change on Instagram as well. When looking back at my older pictures from the beginning of high school, I would add borders around my pictures. Sure, at the time that was the “cool” thing to do, but now it would be seen as socially "unacceptable" to still add those. Today I will post a picture with no border but an edit instead using other apps such as Visco or HUJI. While the trends continue to change on Instagram, I see my audience changing from my old friends to my new ones. However, even when the trends continued to change, my purpose on Instagram never did. I want my audience to view me as free-spirited and adventurous through my posts. I believe my friends from my high school as well as my friends in college enjoy seeing my posts because it is a way to keep up with the changes in my life. However, it is not a one way street. This demonstrates a participatory affordance of Instagram where you can interact with the digital device in a way where it benefits both parties. My mom would say I am “addicted” to Instagram because of how often I am on it. I check it every day and most days more than once. My response to my mom has always remained the same: “So what?”
Just like trends change in fashion, cars, and electronics, trends most definitely change on Instagram as well. When looking back at my older pictures from the beginning of high school, I would add borders around my pictures. Sure, at the time that was the “cool” thing to do, but now it would be seen as socially "unacceptable" to still add those. Today I will post a picture with no border but an edit instead using other apps such as Visco or HUJI. While the trends continue to change on Instagram, I see my audience changing from my old friends to my new ones. However, even when the trends continued to change, my purpose on Instagram never did. I want my audience to view me as free-spirited and adventurous through my posts. I believe my friends from my high school as well as my friends in college enjoy seeing my posts because it is a way to keep up with the changes in my life. However, it is not a one way street. This demonstrates a participatory affordance of Instagram where you can interact with the digital device in a way where it benefits both parties. My mom would say I am “addicted” to Instagram because of how often I am on it. I check it every day and most days more than once. My response to my mom has always remained the same: “So what?”