What it is
Instagram is a social network and a program that permits friends to share photos. It is the quickest way through which friends share their lives with each other through a series of pictures and images with no cost attached. It is free, quick and fun1.
Who is doing it?
Instragram is widely used by friends in facebook and twitter. According to Roger’s theory of diffusion innovation, people tend to create features and functions that they deem will be useful to a given target group.
For social system members, the decision about an innovation is dictated by stand of other system members. This implies that if a proportion social system members adopt an innovation, it will be followed by a massive adoption by other members of the social system.
Operation of Instagram
Instagram is very simple to operate. The first step involves snapping a photo using a mobile phone. Then transform the image into a memory by choosing a filter.
The image transformed can be kept forever. Upload the picture to a facebook page or twitter network. The image will appear to all your friends that have access to Instragram.
One of the outstanding benefits of Instagram is the cost. It is free innovation and hence users do not need to incur any cost while using it. It is also very fast and efficient way of knowing the whereabouts of friends and how they are doing2.
One can take a picture once and share it in multiple services. Images play an important role in displaying the physical characteristics of a person. Instragram transforms picture into a profession-like snapshot.
A distinct feature of Instagram is that the photos are confined into a square shape. There are also dozens of filters which help you give the picture a special look.
The setback with Instagram is that privacy is highly compromised. This is mainly because the uploaded photos are made public by default.
The photos are also available at the Instagram website (instagram.com). The fact that pictures are confined to a square is not beneficial to people who like taking panoramic pictures.
Significance of the innovation
The emergence of Instagram has enhanced connections in the social network services. The innovation was able to capture huge numbers in cell phone community within a short span of time. As a matter of fact, it started becoming a threat to other social network services.
As a result, facebook acquired it as a mean to enhance its operations. In 2011, Apple Inc. titled Instagram among the outstanding applications of the year3.
Downside of the innovation
The only disadvantage with Instagram is that one must adopt it to be able to follow pictures of other friends. In other words, if one adopts it while the friends do not adopt, then it would not enhance connections as such.
The fact that the photos are made public by defaulter may also be offensive to other users who value privacy. Instagram is increasing its broad among various social systems. With this trend, it is stipulated that it would match facebook in few years.
Implications of this adoption
The adoption of Instagram has changed the level of interactions among friends in the social network services. The adoption of an innovation is often informed by the extent at which the innovation will or will not disrupt other functions facets of the user’s daily life.
Instagram is very consistent with existent values and habits of enhancing healthy relationship among friends in far off places. Instagram will also allow tutors to upload pictures related to a given subject for proper comprehension4.
Bibliography
Alley, L. R. (1996). Technology’s sudden effects on reflective teaching: An instructional epiphany. Change, 28 (2), 49-54. Web.
7 Things You should Know about Mobile Apps for Learning (2011). 7 Things You should Know about. EDUCAUSE. Web.
7 Things You should Know about Socail Bookmarking. Web.
Footnotes
1 7 Things You should Know about
2 7 Things You should Know about Mobile Apps for Learning
3 7 Things You should Know about Socail Bookmarking.
4 Alley, L. R. (1996). Technology’s sudden effects on reflective teaching: An instructional epiphany. Change, 28 (2), 49-54.