Instagram has now become a hub, mainly for teenagers and young adults. As the new visual centre and heart of social media, consumers post photos instead of written tweets or posts on Twitter or Facebook, although it is possible to link photos to these platforms.
Instagram claims to be a "fast, beautiful and fun way to share your life with friends and family.Take a picture or video, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram — it's that easy. You can even share to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and more. It's a new way to see the world." (https://instagram.com/)
My point of question is the high level of pretentiousness demonstrated on the platform. As an avid user myself to date I have 219 posts, 706 followers and follow 501 people. I hand up admit that a lot of the time I take pictures I know people are going to 'like' and will gain at least '11' likes, but I now find myself asking the question, what are these 'likes' worth? Beyond this I find myself seeing the world in Instagram pictures. A nice meal, sunset or outfit are just some of the examples of things I see and instantly think.. This would be a good Instagram photo.
Although I think Instagram, especially for me as a media student, allows for people to practise photography, creativity, editing and even advertising or marketing it is dangerous territory. Scrolling down my personal Instagram feed I see Victoria's Secret models posting their recent photo shoots, Kim Kardashian flaunting her designer outfits and luxurious holidays and "thinspiration" models showcasing their plank of wood flat stomachs. Nevertheless, this is just the change of media from print to social media as this kind of thing was, and still is, available to see in magazines. I agree that the audience of Instagram are not passive, I instead think this is just what people want to see. The "re-post" photos that my friends post to their friends of people like Kim Kardashian or Candice Swanpoel with hearts-in-eyes emojis or praying emojis, to me shows that we like that. We like the kick up the bum motivation and seeing something we desire and admire and is that a bad thing? seeing something that motivates us.
I often question people's Instagram posts, particularly my friends, when I see them post pictures of their boyfriends or meals when I know that they have just had a fall out or didn't really rate the food. I see this as false economy, we take the pictures we think people want to see despite what we actually think or feel. What is beyond the picture? People may take pictures of their new Victoria's Secret products but after that Instagram post what is left? There's 20 likes on the photo of appreciation by friends or strangers, but what else? Was this Victoria's Secret product bought for it's benefit to your life or the picture, could you afford it? If you can't afford it what are the consequences? Is it all worth it?
Beyond the family picture at Christmas captioned "Love Christmas with the family" could be arguments and actually not the happy family that is pictured. It is as though we have to prove and showcase our "perfect" lives that other people desire and would be jealous of. What even is "perfect"?
I am not one to deny I haven't done this. I have taken pictures of University buildings and posted them to Instagram to show people I'm at Uni but really I didn't settle in well and at the point I posted it I wasn't happy and it was purely for the opinion of others about me.
I have thought, if I get abs I could post a killer picture on Instagram in Summer.. How self centred?
The impact Instagram has had is seen in songs such as the viral "let me take a selfie" which speaks of the "Valencia filters" and although satirical, is actually very true.
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