Instagram is a social networking site that allows its users to post videos and photos on their wall, share live video broadcasts and post pictures and videos known as stories that last up to only 24 hours only. To these, their followers can then comment and like. Instagram was created in 2012 and now currently the number of users on it has risen to over a billion from all over the world. However, of all the women online, 38% of them use Instagram compared to the 28% online men.
Even though the basic Instagram community focuses on positive body image to and promotes an overall prosperous life, it cannot be veiled that the diverse population on this social site will not be accustomed to (and reinforce) the generic idea of how people should look. Instagram users have been defining the around the globe Beauty standards and the drive towards these is the one reason why women users are more enticed. Accompanied by the ability to comment, female users spend more time complimenting other female users under their posts, making the user feel like their own “Prom Queen” with cheerleaders all around.
Instagram is all about glamour
The sites mainstream idea of sharing the glamorous life gets enhanced through the features of filters which improve and bring the users closer to these beauty standards, emphasizing on how things should look. Every girl wants to look the prettiest one in the room, the most perfect and Instagram provides that opportunity to enter to that beauty pageant every day. In addition, this site is a great platform for brands to advertise since it is a display of fashion trends, design, beauty which are continuously trying to attract the female audience into buying their products.
Demographics
Although there is a huge majority of men using Instagram as well, even though there are more female accounts, men are somewhat equally engaged. Most of them are observed to be liking and viewing posts of the things and trends being advertised but also mostly the women they find attractive. Often the case why men are online mostly is to follow the women they find attractive. All the social sites have basically become online dating sites as well, where it is easier to approach a person through texts than in person.
Women love pictures more than men
An interesting observation suggests that what people do on Instagram now was a practice which women have been responsible for since ages before. As many can recall that taking pictures of special occasions or moments was always a voluntary duty of our mothers who would then place the pictures into photo albums and show around to the relatives in a gathering. The modern day, it’s the same, except the display is a soft copy.
Beauty & Fashion
Perhaps the pressure of maintaining the enviable Instagram feed and effortless perfection is not the one for many men after all. Perhaps it’s always the women race who will be accustomed to specific norms of beauty and the pressure of perfection that comes along, hence women dominate Instagram.
