What are the advantages and disadvantages of posting photos to Instagram?

Instagram is a social networking platform in its own right. You don’t need a Facebook account to use it, but you can use Instagram to post on multiple platforms. It’s just different strokes. Kind of like how some people share craft how-tos on Facebook and some use Pinterest.

Check the terms of use – some of the photo sites give the host the ability to use your pictures in their advertising. See if Instagram is one of those.

Advantages: The photo filters and effects. You can sort/search by hashtag. It’s all photos, so no (or very limited) political and angry garbage. You can now post short videos and rectangular photos. You can easily follow people who take cool photos and not be plagued with info about their daily lives. You can keep your photos private (only viewable by your followers, who you approve), if you want.

Disadvantages: If you sort/search by the wrong hashtag, you will see body parts that you can’t unsee. Believe me.

Never used it.

I use Instagram to share whimsical, funny, or ironic photos that I don’t want to provide comments for. I see it as more superficial and more lighthearted. A different group of friends follow me on IG as opposed to FaceBook. Like @Cupcake said—the advantage definitely is no political postings, no ads, and no LulaRoe crap.

The disadvantage is seeing 100 photos at different angles of the vases my friend has created in his studio.

@Seek gave you a decent answer as to why it could be good…the downside is what you post there will be there forever for bazillions of strangers to see…future employers…future S/O’s and ultimately grandbabies down the road. Polaroids you can cut up and burn….Instagrams and all other social network site postings will be online for eternity.