By Corey LaQuay
Copy Editor

Created in 2010, Instagram is a social application that allows users to take photos, apply digital filters, and share them with friends through not only Instagram, but also post them on various other social networks. This application is growing in popularity to users of many brands of smartphones including iPhones, Androids, and Windows phones. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t use this trending photo service. Instagram is a new application giving a whole new image to social media.

After downloading the program for free off of the App Store, Google Play, or Android Market, it’s easy to get started. Instagram allows users to find friends quickly and easily, having the ability to sync contacts through Facebook or their address book. Following users gives access to their photos and shows their images on the home feed.

The highlight of the program, however, is uploading your own images. Simply take a picture using the Instagram application or select an image from your saved photos, crop it down to a square, and apply one of the 20 different filters to give the image a unique look. “It’s practical and easy to use,” said Ashley Smith, a junior at Neshaminy High School.

The social aspect of Instagram is connecting with other users. Users have the ability to like or comment on others’ pictures, follow their friends, and share their images on Facebook, Twitter, and other social services.

There are a wide variety of users on Instagram, giving people the opportunity to choose what they see based on who they follow. “It all depends on who you choose to follow, some people use it artistically while many use it as a form of social media,” said Smith.

Social media is generally focused around text-based news stories, while Instagram is based on photos. “I think people like to take pictures of what’s going on in their lives rather than write about it because it’s easier and faster,” said Caroline Crasnick, a Neshaminy senior.

When uploading an image, users have the ability to apply a “hashtag” to upload the image to one of the many community “galleries.” These networks are searchable through a tab on the Instagram application, giving access to millions of similar pictures with the same tag. This feature connects users worldwide to a gallery of images, sharing similar life experiences through pictures.

As the application has improved and updated over time, the number of users has greatly increased. Instagram announced in April of 2012 that there were approximately 30 million users, with new users joining and 58 photos being posted every second according to Digital Buzz Blog.

This program continues to grow and improve over time, with many changes being made to allow for a better user experience overall. “Pictures shouldn’t have to be cut down to squares, and the option to leave your picture horizontal or vertical should be available,” said Smith. User based input continues to transform how Instagram operates.

Instagram has grown into a community; millions of photo journalists capturing every moment of human existence with each photo posted. The world is being connected through photographs, giving people from all over the world a place where they can share their experiences and aspects of their everyday lives as well. A picture captures a thousand words, but only so much can be said about a single photo, as opposed to a worldwide gallery of images such as Instagram.