Image Source: Entrepreneur,2nix Studio/Shutterstock
A picture might be worth a thousand words, but in the case of Instagram, your pictures are worth somewhere between 19 and 35 billion dollars. At least, that is the price Citigroup valued the online photo sharing site, while individual users with 1000+ followers, could earn themselves upwards of $8000 CAD a year.
Image Source: Growing Social Media
Instagram, an online photo-sharing app with a community of more than 300 million members, allows users to share their lives through a series of images with people around the world. When co-founders Kevin Systrom, then aged 26, and Mike Krieger’s, then 23, launched Instagram on October 6th, 2010, they could not have imagined that in a span of two months, this online community would grow to 1 million users. As of today, there are more than 400 million users on Instagram, a staggering figure when you compare that to the total population of Canada, a mere 35 million. There are more citizens of Instagram than there are in our country. According to Craig Smith, the publisher of DMR, a digital marketing statistics website, reports indicate that 90% of Instagram users are younger than 35. Back in spring 2015, 52% of active U.S Internet users on Instagram were between the ages of 13 and 17. These numbers are significant, because adolescents of the current generation are constantly checking their phones and are heavily influenced by the images they see. As a result, these young adults often feel pressured to fulfill unrealistic expectations of not only their physical selves but also the elevated lifestyle set by famous celebrity Instagramers followed by millions of teenagers.
Image Source: Digital Resource
Now, Instagram has evolved into something much crafted, it is about trying to depict your life as being more exciting and glamorous than it actually is. Instagram has now evolved into a popular social networking site, in which users are able to feed their self-worth with the amount of followers, likes, and reposts they receive. The original purpose of a like – to acknowledge genuinely the image – has been lost. Now it is seeking approval from society, that you are good looking or popular. It isn’t just behaviour, it is a language. Clearly, Instagram has had an impact on individuals and on society.
Should we blame sites such as Instagram for creating an app that allows young users to become overwhelmed with the idea of a ‘perfect life’? Should there be an age restriction to site that can potentially affect one’s mental health? Clearly apps such as Instagram and Snapchat are not going anywhere in the immediate future. These multi-billion dollar industries may have their critics, but as long as they are generating massive profits it is unlikely that they will cease to exist. Instagram should recognize the mental impact it has on teenagers and take social responsibility. Ultimately, questions remain, is it ethical for the corporation to continue destroying and deteriorating one’s self worth? We will have to wait and see if the popularity of these apps will eventually cause users to self-destruct.
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Work Cited
Berkowitz, Ben. “Wait a Second, Instagram Is worth What Now?” CNBC. CNBC, 19 Dec. 2014. Web. 26 May 2016.
“Home Page — Statistics Canada.” Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada, Oct. 2015. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
Leading Global Social Networks 2016 | Statistic.” Statista. Statista, 2016.Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
MailOnline, Bianca London for. “How Much Are YOUR Instagram Posts Worth? Users with 1,000 Followers Could Net £4,160 a Year by Promoting Brands (and Anyone with 100,000 Can Earn More than a Lawyer).” Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 12 Nov. 2015. Web. 27 May 2016.