By Caroline Eaton
Today we’re tackling a brand new social media platform: Instagram. If you have anyone in your life under the age of 15, chances are you’ve heard of Instagram.
This platform is completely photo-driven, and it all takes place on your smartphone. With certain age groups, it is the most popular social media platform; however, it is the simplest one yet.
Let’s break down the anatomy of Instagram. If you haven’t already, download the app and look it over with me as I explain what everything means.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, created an account, and logged in, you will be taken to your homepage. There is a menu on the bottom of the page that we’re going to walk through from left to right.
Home
The first button on the far left side of the menu is your home button. Simply click on it when you want to be taken back to your homepage.
Search
The second button is the search icon. Click on this one when you want to search for other users or hashtags.
Just like on Twitter, you follow other users, and they can follow you back. The photos of the users you follow will appear in your feed, and as you scroll through, you can “like” photos by tapping on them twice.
Camera
Next is the camera button. This is what you click on when you’re ready to upload your own Instagram photo. You can take your own photo within the app by clicking on the big circular button in the center of the screen. To take a video, click on the video camera icon on the bottom right side of the screen.
Note: There are three smaller icons above the three larger ones on this screen. These icons determine the grid on your camera, the direction your camera is facing, and the flash. I recommend playing around with the different settings until you’re comfortable.
You can connect the app to the photo library on your smartphone so that you can access your photos.
STEP 1: Choose the photo you want to upload by clicking on the small square on the bottom left of the screen.
STEP 2: Select the photo you want, then click “Next.”
STEP 3: Edit.
You can edit your photos within the app by adding colored filters or brightening the photo.
Once you upload a photo and edit it the way you like it, you’ll be taken to another screen of options. This is where you write your caption, tag the people in your photo, set your location, and have the option to connect your Instagram account to your other social media accounts so that it uploads on other platforms as well.
Notifications
The next icon on the menu is the notifications page. This is where you see who has liked your photo or started following you.
Profile
The last icon is the profile page, which is where you see your Instagram profile and can edit the short biography and profile photo on your account.
Coming next week, we’ll discuss ways to use Instagram for your ministry. Make sure you’re following us on Instagram @cogdoe.
As always, please send feedback and questions to dbennett@churchofgod.org. What other things would you like to know about Instagram?The last icon is the profile page, which is where you see your Instagram profile and can edit the short biography and profile photo on your account.
