Instagram is probably the greatest app, or at least one of the best apps to use on your phone in this day and age. This is because Instagram allows you to share your images with a public audience, making it easy for anyone out there who has an iPhone to see what you’re up to. As someone who just got their first iPhone today, I was excited about the prospect of people being able to see all my new photos coming soon. I went ahead and did what any average millennial would do at this point: download Instagram onto my phone and get started right away. The first step when I got onto Instagram was to fill out my profile and get started on sharing pictures of things that I find interesting. As someone who’s really into food, which a lot of people at the college seem to be based on their Instagram accounts, I decided to make a folder for myself with pictures of food.
However, there is one person in my class who does not have an Instagram account. Sure, there are a few people in our class who do not use Instagram but this one student seems to be the only one in our entire class who does not seem to care about getting an account or even taking any selfies or anything like that. He is also the only guy who doesn’t own an iPhone.
I mainly use this app for two different reasons: sharing images and keeping up with friends. I really like it when I get to see photos from other people who also share their Instagram images on their feed, so I try to keep up with them and check in. It’s a great way to catch up on what’s happening in other people’s lives, which makes me feel like I have more of a connection with them. I also like to use it as a way to share photos with my friends, and when I send someone a message, they are notified that they got a new message in their Instagram app. Due to this reason; I tend to spend most of my time on Instagram these days.
I also use this app for personal use. Like I said earlier, my main reason for using Instagram is to share pictures of myself cooking and eating with my friends. I like to think of it as a journal of my life, where I can look back and see what I was up to during that time. It’s also fun to share pictures of when other people cook for me and I enjoy eating their creations. It’s also reassuring to see that other people enjoy eating the same types of food that I do.
Instagram can be used for many more purposes than just sharing images, however. There are plenty more uses such as posting the occasional video, sharing information about events and much more. I think the main reason why Instagram is such a popular social media app is because of its easy-to-use layout, which is available on all of your smart devices. Because of Instagram’s layout and how it works, there are very few people who can compare it to any other social media network. It helps you to stay in touch with your friends, family or even people that you don’t even know and see what they’re doing at any given time. “Whether you love or hate the idea of being able to view pictures on Instagram before they go public, (it is) a wonderful way for friends, family and acquaintances to stay connected” (Neves, 2013).
With Instagram, you have the power to share your life with whomever you’d like, whenever you’d like. You are welcome to post whatever pictures you’d like, but be wary that there are always trolls and people who may try to bring you down for it. Just ignore them and keep being yourself (Zillich, A. 2021). The only thing you have to remember is never share anything on Instagram that you wouldn’t want to share with everybody.
Instagram has been a big part of my life since I first got my iPhone, and I don’t see it going away anytime soon. No matter how old you are and what kind of lifestyle you live, there is almost always a way to fit Instagram into your everyday routine. Whether you use it for fun or just for keeping in touch with friends and family, it’s always fun when people can share what’s happening in their lives with others. According to Neves, B. B. (2013), Instagram is a great way to keep up with who your friends and family are and everything they are doing. Keeping up with your friends through social media is especially useful because you will never have to worry about being behind on things like birthdays, anniversaries etc. This way, you won’t have to worry about your loved ones wondering why you forgot their special day, because now you have the power to just go online and check.
The main reason why I’m using Instagram is to share my images with others. The main purpose of this app is to share your images, not just with your friends, but with total strangers as well. People can easily use the app for the briefest amount of time and start creating a community around them. It fascinates me how ladies take selfies of themselves on their phone and then go online and put a filter on there. It’s not as if they are doing it to make their face look better than it is naturally. It’s just that they had to put some work into there image to make sure it looked perfect, which is a very interesting concept. A lot of people don’t understand how girls can take selfies, edit them and post them online, but I think the whole concept of such things fascinates me.
Not only do I use Instagram to share my pictures with others, but it is also a way that I keep in contact with my family. Keeping in contact with them doesn’t mean we just message back and forth on our own phones, it’s more like we will send random photos to each other on a daily basis. For example, one day I could take a photo of my dinner and then send it to all of them. They will then each choose one of their favorite dishes that they would want me to make for them at some point during the week when I get home from work. Duque, R. B. (2009) suggests that Instagram can be a great way for your family or friends to know what you are doing on a daily basis. It’s a great way to be able to see what’s going on in their lives and know that they’re doing well. In his article he further suggests that people can use Instagram to keep in contact with their family or friends who live far away. It’s a great way of being able to see the things they are doing and feel like you’re right there with them.
Instagram can be used for many different purposes, but it still remains to be quite social in how it works. There have been many other authors who have shared what they think about Instagram as a social media outlet, as well as why they think it’s not one (Duque, B. & Nogueira, D., 2013; Neves, B., 2013). They all have a different opinion, which is the point of social media. People have to use what works for them and what makes them happy, but the main thing that people should remember is to keep their lives in check when it comes to posting images online. It’s easy to become addicted and want to post everything you do, but you have to remember that there are people out there who read everything you post. People can easily get offended by what you post, so try not to take it personally. If someone were to get offended by one of your posts, then don’t be upset, just remember how the saying goes: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all”.
With that being said, I’ve come across many different posts from Instagram and Facebook in my day. People will just post things that make them happy and provide no thought as to who might see it or what they may think about it (Duque & Nogueira, 2013). People will post pictures that are meant to be funny, but there is a big problem with some of them. There are pictures that people post about how their kid just got out of the bathtub and they look absolutely adorable (Duque & Nogueira, 2013). Then there are other posts that involve sharing a picture of someone who is passed out from drinking too much. These types of posts could be seen as something different to different people. Some people might see the positive side and think it’s funny, while others will take it differently. The truth is, if you don’t want a certain image or picture to be shared or viewed by others or even yourself for that matter then don’t share it on Instagram (Neves, B. 2013).
No matter what anyone says, Instagram, Facebook and other social media are very serious in regards to themselves. Everyone wants to be on top of the game and have a good life, so most people will try to use these sites to get them there. The only thing you should do is try not to take it too seriously, because these sites are only a small part of your everyday lives. If you post an image that is off-putting or alarming for others or even yourself then it’s probably best that you don’t post it at all (Neves, B. 2013). This has been my view about the use of Instagram for social media. I would like to know what you think about it as well. Also, if you would like to share anything about your experience using Instagram I would love to hear from you.
Just like Instagram, Facebook is a social site that allows people to interact with each other in a different way, as well as connect with their family members and friends that they may have lost contact with over the years (Duque B., & Nogueira, 2013). There are a number of ways that one can share their thoughts and feelings through Facebook whether it involves status updates, images, videos or even live streaming. Facebook is an amazing way for parents to be able to stay in touch with their children when they are not around.
Overall, Instagram is an app that has gained a lot of popularity quickly, and it’s easy to see why they have decided to keep it around as long as they have. It’s a great way for people to share their experiences with others and also keep in touch with their friends and family all over the world at the same time. If you’re deciding to download Instagram, then I highly recommend that you do because it’s a great way of staying connected with people and keeping yourself updated on what’s happening in your life. The choice is all yours, now. Will you choose to download it or not? Only time will tell (Duque, B. & Nogueira, D., 2013). I appreciate the social aspect of this app and believe it’s a great way for people to stay involved with what is happening in each other’s lives. In some instances, however, there are far too many people who would rather spend their time online looking at what others are doing rather than actually doing anything themselves. According to authors like Ellison, (2014), Instagram can be a great way for people to remain grounded and informed about the world. It’s a great way to keep yourself updated on what’s taking place in your neighborhood, or even around the world. There are very few things that can compete with getting instant information from your social media platforms, however. Ellison further explains that Instagram is a way of maintaining relationships with friends, family and other individuals who you care about. It’s a way to stay connected, share photos and remember those special moments that are so important in life.
References
Duque, R. B. 2009. Book Review: Ralph Schroeder, Rethinking Science, Technology, and Social Change. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2007. 179 pp. ISBN: 0804755884, $39.95 (cloth). New Media & Society, 11(8), 1403–1404. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448090110080702
Ellison, N. B., Vitak, J., Gray, R., & Lampe, C. 2014. Cultivating Social Resources on Social Network Sites: Facebook Relationship Maintenance Behaviors and Their Role in Social Capital Processes. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 19(4), 855–870. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12078
Neves, B. B. 2013. Social Capital and Internet Use: The Irrelevant, the Bad, and the Good. Sociology Compass, 7(8), 599–611. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12059
Zillich, A. F., & Riesmeyer, C. 2021. Be Yourself: The Relative Importance of Personal and Social Norms for Adolescents’ Self-Presentation on Instagram. Social Media + Society, 7(3), 205630512110338. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211033810
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