The Attention Merchants: Instagram
Tim Wu captures the total history, and essence of this crazed phenonmenon we call Instagram. The level of intricate successes instagram has following its introduction to society, is impeccably shocking due to the fact that it was created from such an extremely low level of simplicity. Tim explains that the creators Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, were just two young ambitious people looking for a solid idea. Instagram, in all its simplicity, was the idea that would make them super successful. This groundbreaking, undemanding, idea consisted of a few main parts. Tim explains that, first, instagram amplified the users camera on their devices that could be applied to photos. Second, instagram was a photo-centered network, the photo was a requirement, and you could also send messages if needed. Picture plus amplification equals instagram. A foolproof plan that made them insanely rich. The concept was so easy to understand everyone started to use it so fast. Tim explains that instagram had a few important characteristics that differentiated it from Facebook. The first being that it had a self-portrait, otherwise known as the infamous ‘Selfie’ emphasis, as opposed to a more inclusive photo vibe. For example, Tim paints the picture this way, on Facebook pictures with your family and the dog sort of match the overall tone of the site, but instagram is a more self-celebrity vibe, each ‘selfie’ photo is meant to amplify the self to a more glamorized state. Which leads to the second point he made about instagram revolutionizing the ‘like’ system.
At a point you could like photos on Facebook (but you couldn’t show emotion to it back then), it used a thumbs up emoji, but for instagram they utilize the heart symbol for their like feature. The heart is already heavily connotated with love, so even if someone just likes a picture, the user feels some hightened or exaggerated sense of satisfaction, which is by all means arbitrary. In fact, Tim goes as far as saying users became addicted to the likes (and can’t forget the comments, and followers) on instagram, it became a way for ‘self-affirmation.’ And third, instagram attracted a younger crowd. He painted the picture this way, young people were all flocking to instagram while their grandparents were just discovering Facebook. Mass attention was shifting towards instagram, and away from any other social media platforms.
Instagram captivated the human gaze, and like Tim said business would soon follow. Not just for the creators, however, each individual user had the ability to capitalize off of their number of followers, and engagement. If a person has a large following, like Kim Kardashian for instance, a vast number of sponsorship, partnership, and job opportunities will follow. Instagram gave each person, each user a power, a power to gain attention. If you use Instagram correctly you could become a internet sensation overnight! In some way that in itself is extremely revolutionary, but it helped users, and business people understand that there is a value in being able to find large groups of concentrated attention. Which brings me to my next talking point about the resale of attention. When people get big sponsorships by companies, and various brand usually has little to do with the person themselves, but the audience that engages with them. They have a huge amount of eyes on them, and that’s what business heads are looking for. The future of instagram is bright, the only competition it really has right now is Snapchat, but they are two totally different experiences, and I don’t think users have figured out ways to resale the attention of Snapchat, like they have done with Instagram. Both platforms exist without interfering with the other, and will continue to thrive…until the NEXT BIG THING blows them out the water. History always repeats itself.
