Since its launch in 2010, it has quickly grown from 100 million active users in 2012 to over 300 million in 2014 (Mashable, 2014). It has also since been bought over by Facebook in 2012 for an estimated amount of US$1 billion (Stern, 2012). .
Through the Instagram community, users have been able to find like-minded individuals through the hashtag feature. As the feature is both specific and broad, it helps other users find pictures that have some degree of similarity. Instagram also regularly curates a group of users and 'suggests' new users to follow them through their 'Suggested Users' program. As Instagram has always had a big emphasis on its community, its own instagram page has also hosted various contests that encourage meaningful interaction between thousands of other Instagram users. For example, the 'Weekend Hashtag Project'. Followers of Instagram's page will receive a designated theme every Friday and will be tasked to create creative photographs that adhere to it (Blog.instagram.com, 2015). .
The millions of interactions and engagements within the Instagram community has also sparked social media trends like Throwback Thursday and Selfie. Throwback Thursday is a popular hashtag "#TBT" in which users will post old photos from their childhood or past occasions. A Selfie is a picture that is typically described as a self-portrait. It has since been used widely in the community and heard on popular songs. .
Interaction on Instagram is immediate. Users can "like" other users' photos and even leave comments for them. If need be, users can also send each other direct messages in the form of a photo. It is also important to note that Instagram includes time stamps for when a photo was first posted, how long ago a user has liked your photo and when a user has left a comment for you. Because the community's ease of communication, many brands have also hopped onto the bandwagon.