Vanessa Spates
When
the news first hit that Facebook acquired Instagram for one billion dollars,
the confusion was palpable across all platforms of social media. Everyone was
asking why and for what purpose? I think I can answer those questions from my
own personal view as an active user of Instagram and Facebook. Instagram has
become so huge over the last couple of years; it may seem like just one of the
many social media sites that vain people use to post their faces but it has
grown into so much more. It’s a form of communicating for people who can’t
express the right words or don’t want to. I use Instagram mainly for
documenting my life and peeking into my friends’ lives. It’s more convenient
than Facebook because Facebook has gotten so cluttered lately with all the new
changes. Instagram allows a relief from all the extra words and limits your
interactions with just pictures, captions, and comments. I think that’s why the
site is worth so much to Facebook, there are millions of users, especially with
the new Android users that have come in by the pack. Instagram is worth that
much because of its sheer impact on other social media sites. Platforms like
Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and FourSquare are working hard and continuously
updating so that users can integrate their Instagram photos with their various
social media accounts. Why wouldn’t Facebook want that kind of little engine
that could?
Another
powerful thing about Instgram is that there are more sites branching off of its
content, such as Instacanvas. Instead of trying to compete with Instagram,
companies are working to capitalize on the available market on Instagram. And I
think it’ll appeal to users to possibly make a profit off of something they did
offhand. I think it’s wise for companies and other social media sites to hop on
the Instagram train rather than trying to compete. Instagram is pretty much the
only site of its kind. Users of this site want to turn their every day lives
into works of art: a boring shoe made interesting with the right filter. I can
see why Facebook would want to acquire this company; it’s become an enormous
juggernaut in the world of social media. As long as they don’t change the
original formula too much, they will have a large user base that will stay
around for a long time.
