instagram takeover

Okay, so we all know what is going on with the Internet and why people aren't dropping by our blogs anymore, at least not to mine. With the ever-growing Instagram traffic, it looks like everyone prefers the instant messaging and posting found there. What are the pros and cons?

Now, if you don't know anything about Instagram (IG), it is basically an instant message app that posts a picture with very short text. You send out your message and anticipate how many "likes" and possible comments you will receive - sort of like on Facebook. I am not a big Facebooker, so this was definitely new and exciting for me when I joined in. And I know there are psychological reports about the "instant gratification" of receiving approval through Instagramming. It is true and can become addicting just like anything.

I joined up to Instagram during the Christmas holidays. I was amazed by the clarity of photographs being published. I have no "smart phone" and just use a "Handy" as they are called in Germany as an emergency type device. How were these photos being taken with just a camera phone?? I absolutely hadt to have a new IPhone to compete with others. I have now learned that some are really shot with a smart phone, but most are still taken with a SLR (single lens reflex) camera and uploaded to the Internet, downloaded to a smart phone or tablet, and uploaded again to Instagram. Since I learned how to download my own photos, I relaxed a bit about the new smart phone. I enjoy using my tablet pc to shoot pictures of my instant day-by-day fun with fabric.

What are some pros and cons of Instagram? Well, one pro is definitely the instant gratification, of course! The feeling that you have friends, colleagues, fans out there that support you! That is definitely a big plus! You can also upload photos of what you are working on right now, at this exact moment with very little preparation....meaning you don't have to upload a photo to your computer from your SLR and then to a blog or other account such as Facebook, Flickr, etc.; that can be time consuming! You can also quickly jump from post to post and see what everyone was up to today.

Now the flip side is this: everyone is changing over to Instagram and leaving their blogs cold and dry. No one is posting anymore! No one is dropping by anymore. Is the blogging world coming to an end?

A good compromise or use of Instagram is a short message about a blog post (address referred to on the Profile Page of IG). This makes sense. I think a lot of text should still be placed on a blog, an online diary or editorial. I personally do not like it when someone makes a "post" with long text through Instagram. I could also do without virtually meaningless pictures, you know the ones I mean...the ones of house pets fetching a bone or personal exercising routines. I think some people become obsessed with overgramming again trying to refill that instant gratification tank. I admit, I could go there if I am not careful. I have tried to put myself on a short rope and watch more critically what I am doing, how much time am I spending there in comparison to how much time I spending doing what I love the most, designing and sewing!!

So, making this post a little shorter to get back to my RL (real life), what are your experiences with Instagram? What do you like about it, what do you hate about it? Is blogging coming to an end? Will we all be hooked up to IM with an armband in the future? We would like to hear from you!

What did I learn this week? Going outside and playing with my family is much more rewarding that checking out what is going on on Instagram! Enjoy your week!