Instagram: Visual Social Media Cultures

(Digital Media and Society) 1st Edition

by Tama Leaver (Author), Tim Highfield (Author), Crystal Abidin (Author)

Instagram is at the heart of global digital culture, having made selfies and filters an inescapable part of everyday life since 2010.

In the first book-length examination of Instagram, Tama Leaver, Tim Highfield and Crystal Abidin trace how this mobile photography app has developed as a platform and a culture. They consider the new visual social media aesthetics, the rise of Influencers and new visual economies, the complex politics of the platform, and examine how Instagram's users have changed their use of the platform over time to respond to evolving features. The book highlights how different subcultural groups use Instagram, and how various public spaces and businesses of all kinds are reshaping their landscape and services to be 'Insta-worthy'. Far from just capturing moments, the authors argue that Instagram has altered the ways people communicate and share, while also creating new approaches to marketing, advertising, politics and the design of spaces.

Rich with grounded examples from around the world, Instagram is essential reading for student, scholars and practitioners of media and communication.