A picture relates a thousand words. Is that why kids today spend time perfecting an Instagram instead of an essay?
“Instagram is a social media titan, with more than 100 million users. Some 58 photos are uploaded to the service every second,” according to Forbes contributer Ryan Holmes.
Fortune.com describes the popular app as “funky” and “retro.” With so many people active on the app every day, students have been finding ways to maximize their followers, likes, and status on Instagram.
Erin Robinson, a junior who knows the rights and wrongs of insta, talks about the right time to post for maximum likes, “I would say Sunday nights when everyone is chilling at home. After they’ve finished homework but before going to sleep most people check their phone.”
Once the majority of followers have seen the post, in order to get them to like it, it is important not to overdo it according to Robinson. When putting an effect on a picture, Robinson believes that it should look somewhat natural, “You should only edit on Afterlight. Don’t use the insta effects because they look too fake.”
Afterlight is an app purely for editing: cropping, adjusting shadows, placing effects, and blurring out the picture. Robinson states that the effects on Instagram are too harsh and give the perception that someone has to adjust their picture in order for it to look good, which is not what viewers want to see. A more natural picture means more likes.
For students like junior Louise McCulloch, however, dealing with the proper techniques for Instagram is too stressful, “I don’t have an Instagram because I’m not edgy so I can’t do it.”
McCulloch believes that the most successful people on the app have the artsiest and most creative pictures. Robinson agrees, stating, “The best instas are usually in a cool place. Something that isn’t food or your dog.”
McCulloch talks about not only the subject of the picture as important, but the quality of the picture matters, too. She states that even if she was in an interesting place, it would be difficult for her to post, “I want an Instagram, but I’m bad at it. I can’t take photos.”
When comparing Facebook to Instagram the two girls disagree. McCulloch finds Facebook less stressful to post pictures because her “friends” and “followers” aren’t scrutinizing one picture, they’re looking at a full album.
Robinson on the other hand finds albums more difficult to deal with, “I think Instagram is easier because it’s only one picture at a time.”
With so many other students patrolling Instagram daily, Robinson finds that posting on a weekly basis is enough to sustain followers without cramming everyone’s newsfeed. Although Robinson finds new things to post weekly, she points out a few specific reasons to post, “If there is a big event that coming weekend, if you had a fun night with your friends, or if you’re on vacation, those are all good times to post.”
Recognizing all of these soft “rules,” McCulloch isn’t sure if she can live up to the art of Instagram, “I want to be able to post, but I feel like so much thought goes into every post that I would just never post because I’d be too worried.”