Diverse Language by Nikita Lynton

Instagram Updates App With New Filter. (Perez, 2012, http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/12/instagram-updates-app-with-new-filter-support-for-25-languages/) 

Language is a fundamental method of human communication. It can be either spoken or written, however in relation to Instagram, a new form of language is portrayed in the form of hashtags. This has made me reflect on how important language is in our day-to-day lives. Instagrams hashtag language is not direct, but more of a visual communicator. Furthermore, a photo and groovy caption will catch your attention faster and easier than a written paragraph. However, the hashtag language can also be adapted as different countries speak different languages, therefore adapting the hashtag language to their countries language/slang. Other social factors of language include individual communication skills, being raised differently, same culture but different clan, etc. This evidently creates a platform in which people who speak that language can build friendships and virtually hang out. Thus referring back to Tuan's (1991) concept of language, of how it can “build a home”. 

Because technology is vastly evolving and is becoming the center of our own universe, a transformation in technology automatically creates a transformation in culture (Kuttainen, 2017). For example, in the Dreamtime, Indigenous Australians would use songs as a way of mapping and communicating. Provided you knew the words to the songs, you’ll always find your way back home (Chatwin, 1987). A transformation in technology, in this case, is evidently the evolution of songs from the Dreamtime, as they had to be adapted to new landmarks such as railway tracks introduced from the European settlement, for the song to still be used as a way of communicating and navigating. Thus creating a transformation in culture as a new culture was introduced and both had to evolve and adapt. 

Instagram is a more personal platform, as you only see the images or videos that interest you, whereas Facebook, in contrast, shows you anything and everything, so you don’t really get to pick and chose what is viewed in your newsfeed. Therefore, I believe that Instagram users can interact more closely, thus creating another form of language to be used within the Instagram realm. The hashtag language is a new development in online communication. It allows users to find posts specifically related to their interests. This is shown as Instagrammers connect through a hashtagged caption, creating a link to other photos or videos that have the same hashtag, therefore sharing the hashtagged object to people with the same interests. Instagram allows its users to completely express themselves, thus providing them with a place that is entirely and uniquely theirs. 

Before the introduction of social media in the late 90’s, telegraph, newspapers and books were the only way a person or organisation could communicate. However, written text has their own unique way of transforming reality (Tuan, 1991). Equivalent to how photos and videos on Instagram have their own unique way of transforming reality to the user. Furthermore, when social media was popularised it created a new reality, where the hashtagged word became the new source, a new language. 

References 

Chatwin, B. (1987). The Songlines. London. 

Hendricks, D. (2013). The Complete History of Social Media: Then & Now. Retrieved from https://smallbiztrends.com/2013/05/the-complete-history-of-social-media-infographic.html 

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, week 5 notes [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/ 

Perez, D. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/12/instagram-updates-app-with-new-filter-support-for-25-languages/

Tuan, Y. (1991). Language and the Making of Place: A Narrative-Descriptive Approach. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 81(4), 684-696.