Photo: Courtesy of MTV.If you happen to be Segwaying by the Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park today and hear a chorus of bottles popping, the annual Piper Jaffray "Taking Stock With Teens" report may have something to do with it.
According to the Internet analysis, which surveyed 7500 upper-income and mid-level income teens, Instagram has become the social media outlet of choice for adolescents with an average age of 16.4 years. The writing has been on the wall for quite some time, but we don't expect Zuckerberg and Co. to be too bummed about the news. Although Instagram set a record of teen usage surpassing Facebook by 7%, Zuckerberg purchased the photo sharing app for $1 billion back in 2012.
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According to the evidence compiled in the survey, teens are growing increasingly weary of Facebook, and prefer the immediacy and the simplicity of Instagram. The filter feature is also a boon for the age group; a phase in which life can sometimes feel a tad mundane. High school, soccer practice, dinner with your parents, and non-stop homework look way cooler with an Amaro glaze.
Instagram's greatest asset, however, might be its compatibility with other forms of social media. Why post something on Facebook or Twitter when you can upload a photo to Instagram and have it shared on all three platforms? How Instagram will change after its acquisition remains to be seen, but Facebook likely won't alter what has proven to be a winning formula so far.
To find out more about Instagram's ascension, and a lot more about what the teens are into these days, click here.