PBIA on Instagram

The genre I chose for the first project builder was Instagram: posts and captions. A lot of people, especially teenagers, have something called “social media” on their phones. Most of them have a social media app called Instagram. Instagram used to be a less popular and childlike version of Facebook, but it’s now more well-known than it’s ever been. This social app is a place where people from all around the world post pictures of exciting events, fun celebrations, and their typical daily lives. The whole point of it is to post whatever you want on your profile, and allow others to see. Along with the pictures, most people write captions along with it, often describing what the picture means. The most common posting, I believe, is being with your friends. Nobody wants to look alone, and everyone wants to look like they are having a good time, even if they are not. The purpose of this is to not only prove to others that you have a good life, but to try and reassure yourself that you are. It seems as if the generation we are in cares more about the amount of likes they get than the actual people they are with in the picture. On social media, it’s all about presentation and how you portray yourself. Some ordinary conventions of Instagram include catchy captions (either quotes or upbeat sayings), friends (already mentioned), cheery faces, artistic photos/backgrounds, and so on. One thing about Instagram is everyone’s style is different. Everyone has their own individual way of posting pictures. There was an “Instagram phase” when everyone had photos that had white space in-between, and now most people don’t have the white space. The audience is usually meant to be for peers, so people generally try to make their photos appealing as possible so they get more likes. As pathetic as that sounds, it’s true. For instance, someone walks passed you in the hallway and notices your blouse. They compliment you by saying, “cute shirt” or, “I like your blouse”. Nowadays, because social media plays such a big role in our lives, liking or commenting on a picture is no different than that. Yes, it’s a little less personal since you’re behind a screen rather than being face to face, but it makes us feel good about ourselves.

            So what makes Instagram, Instagram?

            Instagram is a place to express yourself. You can create your own profile however you want it, and your peers/friends have the option to follow you or not. Although it isn’t necessarily the best way to get to know someone, it gives you a little bit of insight on the person’s life and what is important to them. Like everything else, there are positives and negatives that go with this social media app. Similar to Facebook, there’s the common possibility that a stranger wants to follow you, and more often than not, people make the stupid mistake of allowing them to. On your posts, you have the option of putting your location, so anyone can look up where you are. This can cause major problems. An interesting fact: As of February 2015, 57% of Instagram users have a public account. This means anyone can look you up and see your profile and posts.