Instagram - (Digital Media and Society) by Tama Leaver & Tim Highfield & Crystal Abidin (Paperback)

About the Book

"In the first book-length examination of Instagram, Leaver, Highfield and Abidin trace how this mobile photography app has developed as a platform and a culture. Rich with examples from across the world, from birth pictures to selfies at funerals, Instagram is essential reading for students and scholars of media and communication"--

Book Synopsis

Instagram is at the heart of global digital culture, having made selfies, filters and square frames an inescapable part of everyday life since it was launched in 2010.

In the first book-length examination of Instagram, Tama Leaver, Tim Highfield and Crystal Abidin trace how this quintessential mobile photography app has developed as a platform and a culture. They consider aspects such as the new visual social media aesthetics, the rise of Influencers and new visual economies, and the complex politics of the platform as well as examining how Instagram's users change their use of the platform over time and respond to evolving features. The book highlights the different ways Instagram is used by subcultural groups around the world, and how museums, restaurants and public spaces are striving to be 'Insta-worthy'. Far from just capturing milestones and moments, the authors argue that Instagram has altered the ways people communicate and share, while also creating new approaches to marketing, advertising, politics and the design of spaces and venues.

Rich with grounded examples from across the world, from birth pictures to selfies at funerals, Instagram is essential reading for students and scholars of media and communication.

Review Quotes

"[It] will be [a] valuable reference [book] for students in the field of media and cultural studies. [It] may also inspire researchers and practitioners in related fields to understand how culture is created and modulated on platforms, and how culture can be studied in the platform environment."
Media, Culture & Society

"Leaver, Highfield, and Abidin's book tackles a timely and complex topic with precision and clarity. An essential overview of Instagram as a far-reaching, multifunctional platform, the authors deftly map out the ways in which Instagram permeates our daily lives. By providing engaging examples throughout the book, the authors give life to their arguments while leaving room for readers to consider important questions for themselves."
International Journal of Communication

About the Author

Tama Leaver is Associate Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University.

Tim Highfield is Assistant Professor of New Media at the University of Amsterdam.

Crystal Abidin is Associate Professor of Internet Studies, Principal Research Fellow, and ARC DECRA Fellow at Curtin University. She leads the Social Media Pop Cultures Programme in the Centre for Culture and Technology (CCAT), and is the founder of the TikTok Cultures Research Network.