Instagram has revolutionize the social media with the idea of sharing images.The idea of sharing images is to provide a form of communication to share memories and experiences. The power of sharing images on the popular social media platform of Instagram has never been so glorified. In this article, Carl Richards state that Instagram users are becoming far more focused on making Instagram pictures look like they have a better life than everyone else even as they take their own pictures and apply filters to the world. Instead, users are still envious about the Instagram lives of other people.
In personal encounters, we share images through Instagram for likes and followers. This article poses a new perspective that questions about do Instagram users focus on building a real life that makes them happy or do they attempt to live an Instagram life and pretend that make them happy. I believe as Instagram becomes more popular, the communication between the pictures are medium sets a message of envy due to all the editing of pictures and what those pictures are composed.
The term “Instagram worthy” has frequently been used to described pictures with good quality but also with the factors of location, trendy objects, trendy food, trendy clothing, etc. Instagram has changed culture as the media platform is becoming a popular vehicle of communication. This vehicle of communication has shaped the way culture is personally portrayed from each Instagram user. People are more focused on the quality of how to take good pictures to display on public because of the access of personalization rather than to just simply take mediocre photos and laying a filter on top of it.
As we talked in class, media creates culture as culture is transmitted by media. The feedback loop of Instagram is demonstrated through the promotion of each Instagram users’ portrayal of their own life experiences through pictures. Each picture puts forward a culture of following trends and posting pictures that displays a better life than reality. Behaviors of other users are provoked which sets off a social learning causing social trend ideals to be transmitted. In a sense, this article put into perspective of how the Instagram life should be critically understood in contrasted to reality because people accept behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols generally without thinking about them because it is so natural.
___________________________________
Source:
New York Times Article: Learning to Shun the Instagram Life