Social Media Etiquette Part 2: The Addictive Instagram

So yesterday I posted an article on Facebook that had a caption ‘’Do you think Instagram would dethrone YouTube” the first comment on that article was, ‘’what is Instagram’’ the second question also supported the first question with ‘’I’m also wondering’’. I remember when I joined Instagram in 2016, I was obsessed, the photos were so cool and it had so much class and the photos exuded so much elegance I was instantly hooked. 2 years down the line I’m still obsessed.  Instagram is my go to platform when I’m bored and when I need information on all things beautiful and uplifting (I tend to be uplifted by seeing nice things I’m sorry)

So, What is Instagram.

I’m sure by now you have seen the photo of 7 Deadly sins in the modern world you are probably guilt of.  Instagram is listed under Pride. Yeah that may be the right way to describe most Instagram photos. Instagram is a photo/video sharing application now wholly owned by Facebook Inc. Yes exclusively photo/video sharing only, If you want to write those power messages that we see on Facebook you can only post them either as captions or as a photo because Instagram is exclusively a photo and video sharing application.

Allow me to get a bit technical and explain in brief how the Instagram algorithm works. The developers want to show you things that are interesting, so whenever you post something on Instagram, the algorithm will show it to a small portion of your followers and gauge the virality( popularity) of the photo based on the engagements (i.e likes and comments) the post gets from that small audience. If it’s popular then the algorithm will show it to a larger audience if it’s not then… In my small mind, I think that’s why Instagram is addictive because it only has breathtaking photos, extremely cool videos, and sassy general and or business ideas.

And then the bad part.

Because it’s a social media platform, it also has its fair share of drawbacks, chief among them: its easy to let people into your life using this site. The photos usually posted are the best of anyone’s photo collection, they usually tell us of your location and in some cases it’s easy to guess where someone stays based on their Instagram photo collection. A simple example is of a South African Socialite called Sbahle Mpisane who was doing everything she could to hide her relationship with Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune. She however had a collection of photos of herself standing in front of a wall that Instagram users always see on Khune’s photos and concluded that they were now an item and flushed them out till they came out in the open.

If you visit a news site called Mafaro, or Zalebs, these bloggers’ source of information is in my mind primarily Instagram. They always have stories of celebrities etc taken from those particular people’s Instagram posts. Now imagine if people are making a living out of your Instagram posts. Is that something that you want to live with, considering that on Mafaro nothing good is usually said in the comments section of the articles written? No one is that immune to such negativity, (trust me the comments are brutal) Who would want to live in such a negative world all because of Instagram?

I personally have seen people’s bedrooms on Instagram, the bedrooms they don’t allow their maids to come into or their children to sit on their beds, BUT they take cool pics oblivious of their location and surroundings and decide they’re Instagram worthy and share without thinking opening themselves up to judgement, marginalism and criticism all because of a social media site.

Instagram Etiquette.

1. Assess your surroundings first before you post your photo on Instagram, its easy to let the whole world into your most personal space without noticing it.
2. By all means be wary of the people you follow or who follow you because like we said in the previous article you never know.
3. On a more personal level, please make sure you have a phone that has a good picture quality lol.