Is Instagram the world’s most popular digital watering hole or just the world’s biggest thirst trap? For the past decade, it’s been the place where we show off our lives — or at least a curated highlight reel — to our friends, family, and strangers. With over 1 billion monthly active users, it’s no surprise that this social media juggernaut has become a staple in our daily lives.
But it wasn’t always such a cultural phenomenon. Launched in 2010 as a photo-sharing app, two years later it was acquired by Facebook (now Meta) and exploded in popularity.
Though the app’s features and uses have evolved over the years, at its core, it has always been a platform that connects us with like-minded people, allowing us to discover new interests and be inspired by others. Whether you’re following your favorite celebrity, influencer, or just your best friend, Instagram has created a virtual community where we can all come together.
Since its inception, plenty of updates have been made to the app, keeping it relevant in a constantly changing online landscape. The Explore page lets users discover new content, from fashion trends to mouth-watering recipes. The addition of IGTV, and later, Reels, made video content easier to watch, produce, and share. Instagram Stories, inspired by Snapchat, helped users curate an on-the-fly and less-filtered online presence.
Sure, just like every other social media app, Instagram can also be a source of anxiety or FOMO. But just remember that ultimately, it’s a highlight reel. You don’t post your fails and your bad days to Insta, and neither does anyone else.
Though other social media apps have sprung up and caught users’ attention in the past ten years, Instagram has proven its longevity with quick updates and new software that keep people logging in every day, even 13 years after it first launched. And it’s still probably the best way to monetize your phat ass or your wicked gainz.
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