by Frances B.

January 31, 2019

Every new innovation comes with its disadvantages. Since its creation, Instagram has been bombarded with criticisms, most of them from people with limited experience with the platform. And while some of those critiques are valid, we should consider the myriad benefits of Instagram when we evaluate the popular social media app. 

Instagram is a news source for young people. Purchasing subscriptions to prominent news publications is expensive; however, Instagram is free and provides information about current events. Most teens, while they certainly have the intellect, don’t have the interest or attention span to read a New York Times article. But the simple text and appealing graphics on Instagram inform and engage teens, and while posts aren’t particularly detailed, they get young people interested enough to do their own research, outside of Instagram, into topics they care about. 

Perhaps the most compelling argument in favor of Instagram is that it makes activism palatable for teenagers. It is a platform where a post can get millions of likes in less than an hour. Through sharing and re-posting, Instagram facilitates the almost instantaneous spread of information and will educate even the most apathetic students about current events, which is critical as awareness is the first step to involvement.

It’s common knowledge that Gen Z is the activist generation. From Greta Thunberg to Emma Gonzalez to Malala Yousafzai, this generation has organized, mobilized and inspired, confronting humanity’s greatest challenges with courage and resilience. 26% of 16-19 year olds already volunteer on a regular basis. But would this surge of activism be possible without Instagram? Movements including Sunrise, the School Climate Strikes, and March for Our Lives, all spearheaded by young people, began on the social media platform. Additional movements such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter gained traction through Instagram. Some of these movements have effectively created reforms in our government, meaning that a social media app helped orchestrate political change.

Instagram also enables teens to explore their identity, connect with people with common interests, and find their niche. It fosters creativity, love of photography, and appreciation for natural beauty and the whimsical moments in our everyday lives. It is a platform for artists, writers, and musicians to share their content, accumulate a following, and be inspired by other creators. The openness of the platform means that artists who don’t have the wealth, resources, or connections to otherwise achieve fame can go viral and launch their careers. And the rate at which posts can be shared allows for a virtual artistic explosion. 

Social media is becoming ubiquitous in the workforce, so it is important that young people learn how to navigate it, especially if they want to pursue a career in journalism, media, graphic design, or business. 80% of Instagram accounts follow at least one business or organization, so the app helps small businesses to connect with their audience and engage with consumers. Without Instagram, people might not discover new small businesses and would instead resort to large corporations such as Amazon.

But Instagram is not without serious flaws, including the superficiality it can cultivate and its over-sexualization of teenage girls. However, the media, large corporations, and public figures who blatantly objectify women are greater contributors to the latter phenomenon. We can take advantage of the open discourse that Instagram promotes to address this problem and modify the platform to protect women. 

It’s been proven that too much screen time leads to mental health issues in teenagers. But contrary to what many adults insinuate, we aren’t anxious and depressed exclusively because of social media. We’re also anxious and depressed because of the pressures imposed on us by those same adults starting at a very young age, and the state of our climate and world. So to use the term popularized on Instagram, ok boomer. Instead of resisting new advancements, why don’t you adapt to them and utilize them to create positive change?