I am pretty sure that when I mention the word "Instagram’ all of you pretty much know that I’m talking about the 4-year old photo and video sharing social media application which is probably found on all of your smartphones. The app has also made its way to becoming a verb by saying things on the line of "I need to Instagram this’ and added common lexis such as the famous #hashtag and filters (avid users of this application will probably be able to list all filter types).
Instagram has become a part of our daily lives just like Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks. It has cultivated a sort of need for people to take pictures on a constant basis. Don’t worry, I am not pointing any fingers here. I am guilty as charged. Admit it though, you do get that itch to snap a picture of a nice plate of food, a cool building or a breathtaking view, add a filter to it and share it on your profile. It has become a part of our daily routine. Instagram also offers the option to have countless followers, therefore you can follow your favourite band, artist, or celebrity. You can pretty much be up to date with anything possible. Companies, restaurants and brands also make use of this app due to the reason that it is such a powerful and effective marketing tool. People who are automatically interested in your product will follow you and by you posting what you offer, your audience will be more aware and up-to-date, resulting in them wanting to purchase your product. I cannot begin to tell you how many times Instagram was responsible for my sudden trips or cravings to grab a burger at New York Best or buying a dress or two from Missguided. I mean honestly, how can you resist these sort of things when you are bored on the bus scrolling down your feed?
Through personal experience I feel that the app has power to make something trend greatly. It can be something simple. If you go through your feed, you can see a pattern of similarities between posts — yes this is also related to the hashtags you have used or people you might know, but if you actually think about it you will realize what I am talking about. On a daily basis on Instagram, you are bound to see a picture of someone taking a selfie at the gym either showing their process or flaunting their really nice looking body, or a picture of cute looking gym gear which normally showcase a Nike swoosh (as that seems to currently be the trend). Another example is food, such as Oreos and sushi. Without wanting to these things actually make you want to try them out. Until I saw a boom of sushi in social media, I didn’t actually know people who liked sushi and nowadays when I tell people that I don’t like sushi it is as if I told them that their cat just died. Back to the gym example, with my personal experience of wanting to be more active and healthy in my life, those pictures actually became a motivation for me. A plus which I would like to applaud the app for is that people, when seeing other Instagram users being healthier by posting pictures of their healthy meals and shakes, are affected subconsciously.
The application acts like a ripple effect. One thing starts, other people like it and suddenly it’s on the radar and trending internationally. It is a part of our generation and shaping future ones. Funnily enough, it really is in our hands what trends around in the world and the change we bring to it with a simple thing such as an application.