Cascade and Instagram
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2017/03/28/why-instagram-is-the-top-social-platform-for-engagement-and-how-to-use-it/#692878c636bd
In this article, it talks about why Instagram is so popular in different aspects. The first aspect is the mobile functionality that people can easily use their mobile phone, usually, smartphone, to check the information and to use it. Therefore, it is really easy and accessible for users to use. The second feature is its visual nature. Instagram has a very clear visual nature. All the screen are almost covered by the photos and other stuff. The third feature is that Instagram is really simple to use. There are just a few functions and it is a place for people to upload their pictures. Thus, it is really popular for teenagers and young people. As a social application, the reason that why there are many people using it today is that people think they can have fun with such an app. Instagram makes the “engagement” really attractive for the users and makes its market really clear– targeting to the users who are young and who like to share their daily lives.
In the class, we talked about the concept of the information cascade. Within the cascade, there are two types of cascades. In my opinion, Instagram fully utilizes the concept of “direct-benefit”. The first person uses it might think that he can have fun to post his/her photos because he likes the functionality of Instagram. Later people will form information cascade because they think through using it, they can upload their photos and record their lives and they can be seen by their friends who have already used it. Besides that, they can know more new people and they can potentially meet their potential girlfriend or boyfriend. They can have some direct benefits from using Instagram. Thus, Instagram spread so quickly and now has the second largest users’ number (If we do not count youtube).