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A review by bargainsleuth
No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram by Sarah Frier
3.0
For this and other book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com
I’ve got a love/hate relationship with social media. I recognize the need for it for my blog to reach more people, but I don’t necessarily only want more followers on a particular platform: I want people to read the blog. So it’s a double-edged sword. I strive for more followers in the hopes that they click through to the content, not just give me a “like”. My camera is old and takes marginal photos, so Instagram has never been a big thing for me. I also don’t seem to have a lot of dried or artificial flowers and teacups and other props that I see on many bookstagram posts, so I know I’m way out of my league and don't even attempt to compete. And Instagram is owned by Facebook, which I also have some issues with. But I live with four kids who are Gen Z and the two that are old enough are all about Insta. What’s their story?
No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram obviously focuses on the inside story of the social media giant. The who, what, where, when and why the app was created, how it evolved, and the influence it has on society today. I have to say that because I’m rather ambivalent about Instagram as an app, I kind of felt that way about this book, too. It just wasn’t as interesting to me as if the author would have also focused on the “outside” story of Instagram as well.
It was interesting to read about Facebook’s takeover of the company, and instead of shutting Instagram down, the social media giant let it function without too much oversight. That is, until Instagram neared a billion followers. As with Facebook, there are ethical questions that arise when involving content moderation and the use of “influencers.” In a capitalist country, it’s always important to follow the money to get the whole story.
No Filter relies on exclusive access to Instagram founders, as well as employees and competitors to the social media giant. It also relies on information from influencers of all types. This book also reveals how some people strategize their use of Instagram and how they do it. What this book ultimately tells us, is that like Facebook, Instagram has fundamentally changed how people interact with each other in society, for better or worse.
I’ve got a love/hate relationship with social media. I recognize the need for it for my blog to reach more people, but I don’t necessarily only want more followers on a particular platform: I want people to read the blog. So it’s a double-edged sword. I strive for more followers in the hopes that they click through to the content, not just give me a “like”. My camera is old and takes marginal photos, so Instagram has never been a big thing for me. I also don’t seem to have a lot of dried or artificial flowers and teacups and other props that I see on many bookstagram posts, so I know I’m way out of my league and don't even attempt to compete. And Instagram is owned by Facebook, which I also have some issues with. But I live with four kids who are Gen Z and the two that are old enough are all about Insta. What’s their story?
No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram obviously focuses on the inside story of the social media giant. The who, what, where, when and why the app was created, how it evolved, and the influence it has on society today. I have to say that because I’m rather ambivalent about Instagram as an app, I kind of felt that way about this book, too. It just wasn’t as interesting to me as if the author would have also focused on the “outside” story of Instagram as well.
It was interesting to read about Facebook’s takeover of the company, and instead of shutting Instagram down, the social media giant let it function without too much oversight. That is, until Instagram neared a billion followers. As with Facebook, there are ethical questions that arise when involving content moderation and the use of “influencers.” In a capitalist country, it’s always important to follow the money to get the whole story.
No Filter relies on exclusive access to Instagram founders, as well as employees and competitors to the social media giant. It also relies on information from influencers of all types. This book also reveals how some people strategize their use of Instagram and how they do it. What this book ultimately tells us, is that like Facebook, Instagram has fundamentally changed how people interact with each other in society, for better or worse.