Donielle Lyles Lyles 1

Courtney Smethurst

English 100

14 September 2012 With praise comes criticism and it is no different regarding the mobile picture sharing app, Instagram. While it seems as if the 80 million+ users acquired over the past two years are actively enjoying the app there are also those who aren’t quite fond of it. No matter how much

Instagram may be worth or how convenient it may be, there still are haters. But, on the other hand there are critics that are in favor of this movement. For example, freelance writer and photographer, Kate Bevan, as well as senior writer for GigaOM, Matthew Ingram. These two both share different opinions on the app, Bevan suggests that “Instagram is debasing real photography” while Ingram believes that “these tools also break down the barriers for talented amateurs of all kinds”. And I personally lean towards the positive argument.

Starting with Bevan, her argument from the beginning was neither clear nor concise.

What she had to say was essentially all over the place and made it hard to reason with her. When she got to a point to where you were almost able to understand where she was coming from she’d go off on some tangent. It was understood though that she felt Instagram took away creativity.

She made that clear by stating that its filters and those attached to similar apps were the

“antithesis of creativity” because they “make all pictures look the same”. Her overall means of persuasion lacked heavily in my opinion. Nowhere in the article is there any real ethos that catches the reader’s eye. She attempts to portray at least a little credibility by saying “I’m a knowledgeable amateur who is old enough to have learned the craft of photography on an ancient Pentax KX camera (which I've still got). I spent hours in the darkroom as a student learning to process black and white film and create black and white prints.” That alone is supposed to earn our respect and make us interested in what else she has to say. But, for me it Lyles just doesn’t do that. In order to appeal our emotions, I’m assuming that she decides to inform us about her family’s possession of photos dating back to the 19th century. Family is something that mainly everyone in the audience can relate to. The problem with her argument and piece as a whole was that it lacked logic. With that being an important component the work was askew and her argument, in turn, was lost and fell upon deaf ears.

In Ingram’s piece on “What the Instagram backlash says about the future of media”, he took an entirely different approach. He introduced the article by stating the views of other writers and photographers without giving his own opinion. It wasn’t until nearly the end that the reader got an insight into his views. This made me a bit restless, but when he spoke on it he communicated a valid point. Given the fact that he has researched and applied other opinions on Instagram such as Rebecca Greenfield from the Atlantic Wire and Dutch graphic designer Jaap Grolleman that gives him the ethos he needs. Unlike Bevan he isn’t just speaking on his own personal experiences. At the same time, Ingram does the job of covering both pathos and logos. He appeals to the reader on an emotional as well as mental level. While he understands that

“Instagram can be used to post shallow pictures of nothing in particular” almost “in the same way Twitter can be used to post messages about what you had for lunch, and a blog can be nothing but a repository for your ranting about cats, or whatever your personal obsession might be” he also knows the benefits of this app. He hit the nail on the head when he stated while there can be some uninteresting use of Instagram “that doesn’t change the fact that these tools also break down the barriers for participation by talented amateurs of all kinds — photographers, writers, journalists and movie-makers.” Along with photography he attaches it to social media as a whole which makes his point that much stronger and exactly why I side with his argument. Lyles

It is important when reading these different articles that the reader understands the severity of the topic. Okay, yes Instagram doesn’t take much effort into posting a picture as it does to actually study photography and come out with a professional result but we cannot talk down on those who are trying. Bevan isn’t even a “professional” to where she can criticize an app like Instagram and those alike. Ingram tells it exactly how it is. While there are negative connotations, we must not forget the brighter side. All in all I think it’s crucial for all critics to realize the purpose of Instagram. On its website it distinctly says “Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. Snap a photo with your mobile phone, and then choose a filter to transform the image into a memory to keep around forever.

We're building Instagram to allow you to experience moments in your friends' lives through pictures as they happen. We imagine a world more connected through photos.” Nowhere do you see that it’s trying to change photography or compete and any way. That must be recognized.