When you download a movie or song illegally, it’s not considered “okay,” but when Instagram copies Snapchat’s idea, somehow it’s okay.
Instagram and Snapchat are two rival social media apps that most teens use every day. They allow the average teen to post pictures and videos for the public to see or send them in a private message.
Snapchat is known for its concept of “Stories,” which is a timeline of your pictures and videos that the public can view, but disappears after 24 hours.
Instagram has now adopted this format and has launched their “Instagram Story” update.
The CEO of Instagram, Kevin Systrom, admitted in an early August interview that Snapchat deserves all the credit.
“When you are an innovator, that’s awesome. Just like Instagram deserves all the credit for bringing filters to the forefront. This isn’t about who invented something. This is about a format, and how you take it to a network and put your own spin on it.”
In a recent poll taken at Churchland High School by roughly 10% of the student population, 63 students said Instagram was better, but Snapchat got the most votes, at 73.
“I love both apps,” said a sophomore who chose to remain anonymous, “but Snapchat has those really cool filters.”
Most students express the same opinion: Instagram and Snapchat are awesome social media apps, but Instagram can’t touch Snapchat’s famous dog filter.