Instagram? Who uses that!

Instagram provides a platform that allows users to build their own unique profile on the app through the process of posting pictures. By posting pictures, users form their identity on the app, while connecting with others. As described by Jose Van Dijck (2013), technology can be thought of as a platform, which allows users to interact in their everyday lives. Dijck states, “platforms are the providers of software, (sometimes) hardware, and services that help code social activities into a computational architecture” (p. 29). It is through this platform that Instagram is able to provide users with the hardware necessary in order to post, like, comment, and share photographs through the app. As reported by Business Insider (2015) in September, the app “just hit 400 million monthly-active-users” (para. 1). In 2010, Instagram began as an app available to iPhone users. As the app grew in popularity, the platform became available to Anroid users in April of 2012, and eventually became a webpage later that year in June. By broadening the technology, Instagram is now able to reach more users than ever before. This development has allowed for software to play a part in the lives of Instagram users, as the platform has translated “encoded social activities into programmed directives to steer user behavior” (Van Dijck p. 29). This ability to steer user behavior is ultimately the reason Instagram has become so successful; keeping users interested with new features increases user-generated content, therefore ensuring that the platform is exciting both for new and existing users. The technology behind Instagram is simple, as it runs on OS/hosting, load balancing, application servers and data storage. (Instagram Engineering Blog, 2015). The technology promotes communication through simple features such as posting photos, following other users, sharing or “regramming” photos posted by other users, liking photos posted by others, and commenting on pictures. All of these features are made possible through the first step of following another user. This then translates to a feed of photos that can be scrolled through as soon as the app is opened. Instagram also provides its users with the option to set their profile to private, ensuring that only those who have requested to follow you have the ability to see your posts. Instagram’s technology also has the ability to connect to other social media technologies such as Facebook and Twitter. This therefore allows for Instagram photos to be posted on other platforms, therefore broadening the technology’s reach.