Young people don’t ask for your number anymore. They ask for your Instagram handle. Over the past decade, Instagram has catapulted over Facebook and Twitter to become an indispensable part of the lives of teenagers and young adults worldwide. As of July 2021, 62% of Instagram’s users are between the ages of 18 and 34. To no one’s surprise, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms for young people. What sets this platform apart from all the rest for the most cynical generation yet to become so dependent on it?
The app itself revolves around the sharing of photographs, short videos and ephemeral stories that can exist permanently or temporarily on one’s curated profile. A user can reflect their personality through the things that they post or even create a whole new persona for themselves online. Facebook (now Meta) has been investing heavily in Instagram since acquiring it to make it the most preferred space for self-expression and experimentation among youngsters. Young people from marginalised groups who haven’t seen a lot of representation in online spaces have found a sense of belonging and community on Instagram thanks to the number of early adopters of this app. People have been able to build communities online that increase awareness and advocate for their rights without having to step out of their homes. This has been significant during the pandemic when people could not physically mobilise to fight for their rights. During the pandemic, Instagram also played a crucial role in raising awareness and organising resources and volunteers to fight Covid-19.
Instagram’s lure lies partly with the interface design and tools that users can play with to express and share their creativity. The endless scroll algorithmically curates content suited to individual preferences based on each user’s past behaviour on the app, as well as Meta’s other products, to keep users consuming content for long hours. The algorithms also identify the user’s biases, fears, weaknesses, hopes and aspirations through the content they engage in to serve up aspirational content that often make young, vulnerable minds feel less than or wanting. Leading to many adopting unhealthy means to match up to the unreal benchmarks they see on the app. Instagram’s new Reels feature – short creative videos – has its own appeal. It cashes in on decreasing attention spans and makes anyone feel empowered to be easily super creative. Companies and influencers are now tailoring their content to fit into just a few seconds due to the high levels of engagement that reels rake in. Thereby feeding further in to the attention economy.
The lives of teenagers have become so entwined with Instagram that they are now reluctant to go off the app fearing they may miss out on something (FOMO). Everyone they know and their friends are on Instagram. The people they admire, the people they are entertained by and even the people they despise are on it; they don’t want to be left out of the loop.
The app is also where people stay up-to-date with everything popular and on trend. As a social media platform, it also curates what the world thinks is desirable. Studies show that teenagers often derive their value by comparing themselves to the standards depicted online, especially on Instagram. For young women in particular, there is proof that their self-image can be strongly affected by what they see on Instagram. According to the Facebook Papers released by the Wall Street Journal earlier this year, 66% of teenage girls experience negative social comparison while using the app. 32% said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel even worse.
It is clear how far-reaching the influence of what is popular on the app can become. Whether it is to conform to the trend or intentionally break away from it, it can be difficult to stay completely aloof to what is trending on Instagram. Teenagers and young adults are in a period of their lives where exploring their identity and forming opinions are crucial to their existence. Social media and Instagram in particular play a big part in this process, especially for this digitally native generation. It is however possible to find a balance and be able to productively navigate through Instagram. In the upcoming blog, we discuss how one can achieve this balance and explore how parents can make sure their children have a safe and positive experience online.
Meghna Nair
Meghna Nair is a freelance writer from Bangalore. With a degree in English Literature, Psychology, and Journalism, her areas of interest lie in art, conservation and sustainability.