The Diffusion & Innovation of Instagram

Social media is a part of most people's daily lives.  For some its a source of entertainment and others use it to check up on family and friends.  Instagram is one of the most popular social medias nowadays.  Instagram began as an app called Burbn in 2010 and caught on quickly with the younger generations and early adaptors because it was an easy way to share photos and videos taken on mobile devices.  By 2021, they earned 117.2 million users.  For some, Instagram became a business opportunity.  It is very common now to have influencer who use their platforms to promote brands and themselves so that they can gain more followers and get paid.  Some late adopters could be brands and advertisers who realized a great platform for them to reach lost of people would be Instagram. Laggards included the older generation.  More older people tend to lean toward Facebook instead of Instagram and were more hesitant to get on the platform. 

 I think that not being on Instagram would be very beneficial to one's mental health. There are studies that show Instagram leading to the damaged mental health and climbing suicide rates.  It can be associated with "high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying and FOMO, or the 'fear of missing out.'"  Some benefits of Instagram would include "self-identity, self-expression, community building and emotional support".  There have also been negative correlations with sleep studies and body dysmorphia as well.  Overall, I think that the negatives outweigh the positives when it comes to Instagram, but it also makes it more difficult to network as a young adult and make friends.