I wonder if back in the days of 2010, that Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger (Mullen, 2018) would have ever thought that their photo sharing app Instagram was going to become SUCH a big hit?
For those of you who have been living under a rock (no judgement, Patrick from Spongebob is a childhood favourite), Instagram is primarily a photo-sharing app that has around 9 million users every month (Cowling, 2020). It allows individuals to share photos and videos to their family and friends (or strangers too - called their followers), creates another platform for businesses to share, sell their products and services and connect with their clients, and allows influencers to promote their message to millions of people everywhere. All with a click of a button.
These are Instagram’s affordances.
Affordances are, according to Norman (2011), “the value of a well designed object when it has such a rich set of affordances, that the people who use it can do things with it that the designer never imagines”.
To help wrap your head around it, an example is the creators of Instagram designed it to share photos. However, its affordances are what users create from just ‘sharing photos’. For example, we can use Instagram to create a political or social media campaign, use it to create jobs and boost peoples businesses, and most importantly, the potential to build people’s self esteems. The opportunities are endless, but not always for the right reasons.
Unfortunately, Instagram is people’s highlights reel. Only the best photo with the best lighting, on the perfect angle and sometimes (most of the time) a touch of face-tuning. Plus, let’s not forget the filters. Although fun at first, you see how detrimental they can be to our self-esteem and our self confidence. Majority of the time, Instagram is showcasing someone who isn’t even our real self anymore. I doubt this was something that Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger ever thought would happen to their creation.
But what more and more people are doing, and what I truly love, and something that people have forgotten, is that Instagram also allows us to show our true selves – the true, good stuff.
Instagram allows you to share photos, videos, and live streams. But what it also allows you to do is share a story, show a vulnerable side, build your confidence, and connect with real people. Yes it may just be a content sharing platform, but the real affordance is what it allows you to do with it.
Instagram has provided a platform for some of the most positive campaigns I have ever seen. @ShamelessPodcast began the #IPledge campaign that encourages young women to really think about their sun protection and the glamorisation of tanning (Shameless Podcast, 2020).
It allows businesses to share who they really are, such as @thedigitalpicnic, who spread all sorts of Instagram Business joy.
And my absolute favourite. It allows for the Instagram community to come together in times of need. During the tragic bushfires earlier this year, an Instagram account was made by Turia Pitt and Grace McBride called @SpendWithThem that helps people buy directly from the local businesses effected by the fires, and of course, the #GoWithEmptyEskys campaign (Santos, 2020).
Instagram and other social media platforms can be dangerous. Their affordances are endless. But, if used right, they can be powerful too. It’s just up to us on how we use them.
References
Cowling, D 2020, Social Media Statistics Australia – January 2019I, SocialMediaNews.com.au, viewed 19 March 2020, <https://www.socialmedianews.com.au/social-media-statistics-australia-february-2020/>.
Interaction-Design.org 2011, Affordances (Don Norman, 1994), 15 February, viewed 19 March 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK1Zb_5VxuM>.
Mullen, J 2018, Instagram’s founders are leaving the company, CNN Business, viewed 19 March 2020, <money.cnn.com/2018/09/24/technology/founders-of-instagram-resign/index.html>.
Santos, C 2020, ‘Spend With Them: A New Instagram Account Is Connecting You With Bushfire-Affected Businesses’, Broadsheet, 7 January.
Shameless Podcast 2020, #IPledge Campaign, 1 January, viewed 19 March 2020, <https://www.instagram.com/tv/B6wSzsNAOfb/?hl=en>.
Spend With Them 2020, Screenshot of Instagram Feed, viewed 19 March 2020, <https://www.instagram.com/spendwiththem/?hl=en>.
The Digital Picnic 2020, Make Someone’s Day Better, viewed 19 March 2020, <https://www.instagram.com/p/B9lfUFRnrdr/>.