Instagram “Celebrity”

The quote by Erin Bury, “Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t want plastered on a billboard with your face on it,” is a mantra people should consider when they use Instagram, the social platform that has changed culture forever. It has been one of the fastest growing apps and one of the most powerful social media networks since it launched in 2010. The company’s mission, “strengthening relationships through shared experiences,” connects its users through a universal language of images to broadcast moments that many times involves flaunting a moment or experience that is positively exaggerated.

It has changed how people look at things in a distorted way with the edited, filtered images which present unrealistic accounts of experiences and beauty. On the flip side, consumers can also share unfiltered broader definitions of character such as models with acne, stretch marks, plus size and not part of the mainstream such as, LBGTQ. Not only has it changed this, but also how people look at travel, culture, food, fashion, activism, employment, recreation and a sense of connection to celebrities. Instagram has transformed time people once spent viewing media on a television to now looking at a phone screen or a computer screen. It has over a billion users that spend 53 minutes per day on average changing modern cultural Instagram has been a huge influence to the travel world and has connected various cultures of the world together within the palm of our hand, we are able to see photos of insane spots from around the world. According to research conducted by Facebook, over 70% of travel enthusiasts use the platform to share travel plans and find inspiration for new journeys. Instagram has unintentionally emerged as a great place for travelers to explore. Instagram has a geo tag feature that works really well. It allows people to add the location of their photos or videos. Furthermore, the geo tag feature allows others to view each other’s photos from the same location.

The app has an explore page that allows people to view content that Instagram believes those people will be the most interested in. They do this by looking at the hashtags and geo tags the person behind the app is looking at. Instagram chooses the photos or videos that usually stand out the most and by how many people first engage with the post. If the post gets at least 300 engagements within the first ten minutes, usually it will make it to the explore page, which is essentially the popular page. This has been a super big issue with my generation. A good majority of people in my generation want to become famous or fake their fame on Instagram… So, they buy fake likes and followers in hope of tricking Instagram and any people who are on the app, that they are trending. I guarantee there is at least one student in each classroom at com who has bought followers or likes at least once.

Imagery is incredibly powerful, and many activists now use Instagram as a storytelling device to spread their message far and wide, inspiring others to get involved. It also gives influential individuals direct access to their followers to promote something they believe in. For example, Justin Beiber’s Instagram announcement of his support for the black lives matter movement. Many famous athletes and stars are now using Instagram as a platform to advertise their beliefs freely. Instagram has turned into political platform. Most of our politicians use the app in hope of swinging and gaining support from the people. The app constantly has political ads and promotions running all over it. Just recently, Instagram added paid promotions to the app. Wealthy people and businesses can now run advertisements and product placements over everyone’s feeds. It cost around $15 per 1,000-8000 views on the app.

Instagram has also changed the definition of Celebrity. “Celebrity” is no longer a dream out of reach. In fact, it’s a reality for many…. Since the rapid rise of the social media platform, Instagram, literally anybody has a chance to become famous. The meaning of “celebrity” has changed a lot. Celebrity status is all based on followers now a day and not how influential one is. Before social media existed, there were pretty much only 3 ways you could become famous. You could be an actor, athlete, or musician. Getting on the News as a normal person was one of the only ways one could claim to fame back then. Celebrity status was a reality back then.

Bloggers were already popular before Instagram, but Instagram gave them and non-bloggers a platform to distribute quick and short updates. Within a minute, an image and caption can be uploaded and streamed by thousands. The app has undoubtedly propelled the influencer movement and turned some underserving people in stars fast. However, Instagram does have some downsides. Instagram makes it very easy for people to procrastinate and lose productivity. The app can be very addictive. It’s so addicting that many companies and schools block Instagram on the servers because it decreases productivity. The app also urges on people to try and create a “fake life”. People are constantly trying to use the app to make them someone that they are not. The app has also lead many people to low self-esteem and depression. It is very easy to get caught up in what everybody else is doing. On top of that, it is very easy to receive hateful and harsh comments from other uses with no consequences. In general, the app has it pros, but also has a fair amount of cons.

Instagram has changed culture, our society and the way people behave forever. There are many pros to using this amazing application and great platform for sharing photos and exploring the world. It is a way to bring beauty, art, travel, activism, cultural events and more to the public. However, it also has its cons and people need to be aware of the negative effects it is having on our society. The need for validation, obsession for fame and addiction to it are all toxic behaviors and must be avoided at all costs. As long as you do that, Instagram will remain a great platform for modern media and cultural development. 

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