October 6, 2010. A date that will forever go down in history. This day will be forever remembered in the world of social media. 22 years later and the platform is booming better than ever. Kevin Systrom is the main man behind the creation of this app. Kevin expanded on his ideas and produced Instagram, with the help of his Stanford classmate Mike Krieger. The rough draft on Instagram was called Burbn. This was because of Kevins love for whiskey and bourbon.
The real "a-ha" moment came to Kevin while on the beach with his now wife, Nicole, in Mexico. Nicole was frustrated that her pictures did not look as good as one of Kevins friends. Mr. Systrom explained that Greg had photo editing apps and that's why they had filters on them. Nicole advised Kevin that they should have editing abilities on the new app. X-Pro II is still on Instagram today. Kevin and Mike wanted to create a photo sharing platform. Throughout a couple months Instagram amassed over a million users heading into December. People fell in love with how easy it was to share their favorite pictures and share with their friends around the world. No contact needed, only a follow!
This invention changed the way we communicate, market, and so much more. Users are able to correspond with each other via dm or even in the comments of a post. Businesses are able to post ads about recent drops or news and so much more. It is rare to see a business or corporation without social media platforms nowadays. If you are not a user of social media platforms in this day in age it is very odd. Your page is your brand. You are able to create a business for yourself on your page, and connect with so many other people. You are even able to purchase clothing from your favorite brands or keep in touch with your favorite different creators. But does this app full of unlimited opportunities have any negative impact on its users?
The main demographic of instagram users are ages 18-34. Some Instagram users are constantly impacted by the beauty standard Instagram users set. "Compare and Despair" is what Dr. Ruth Gursen explains as the impact photo apps make with pictures of perfect bodies. Instagrams influence may be impacting depression, anxiety, and even suicide rates in young girls. This brings up a conversation about social comparison and social media pressures within society. Some Instagram "influencers" set a ridiculous beauty boundary with edited posts and filters. These viewers then compare themselves to the 5 star photoshoots and perfect bodies they see in their feed. Influencers boast their "perfect" lives to their thousands of followers daily. Are the followers even real? Is their lifestyle real? Much of it is just a facade to look lavish on the feed. Creators have been exposed in the past for scamming their viewers for financial gain as well. You are able to create connections and opportunities through Instagram, but at what point is it too much?
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