Sharing Photos
Instagram is for sharing only photos and short videos, excluding other content like status updates and news articles that you may like to share and browse on Facebook. You can add captions to your photos, but they are usually short and appear very small below the photo. The primary focus of Instagram is sharing great photos.
Because of its focus on photos, Instagram can be a great tool for those with an interest in art or photography!
Via an App on Your Smart Phone
Instagram is designed to be used via an application on your smart phone, so you do need to own a smart phone if you’d like to try out Instagram. This also means that you need Internet access to use Instagram.
Though there are ways to transfer photos from a digital camera to your phone to post on Instagram, it’s not a simple process. Instagram is really designed for posting photos that you take on your smart phone, in real time. It’s intended to be a live documentation of your life and experiences, and photos are meant to be shared instantly, in the moment. Hence the “insta” in “Instagram.”

Instagram FAQs
Why should I use Instagram?
There are lots of great reasons to try Instagram. Here are just a few:
- To record your travels, like a live scrapbook
- To share your photos with family and friends
- To follow what’s happening in the lives of your friends and family
- To get to know new friends, like your fellow Road Scholar participants
- To learn about new places by browsing photos taken in locations around the world, and to inspire others with your travel photos
- To practice photography and photo editing
- To follow your own personal heroes
- To try something new, and #AgeAdventurously!
Who can see my photos?
When you create a new account, your page will be “public,” which means that your page and anything you post on Instagram can be seen by all Instagram users.
You can change your settings on Instagram to make your account private so that your photos are only visible to other Instagram users who have been granted your permission.
The decision about whether to make your account private or not is up to you and your feelings about privacy.
How would strangers find my photos if I have a public account?
All of the public photos posted on Instagram are searchable. Users can search for photos by keyword (attached to a photo by a hashtag) or location where the photo was taken. Browsing photos on Instagram is a great way to find out about new travel destinations or enjoy looking at photos of a topic you’re interested in (like puppies or gardens, for example). Instagram will also suggest photos that you may like on your search page.
So users on Instagram who aren’t people you know could potentially find your photos through searches.
Friends of friends may also find you through your Instagram comments or by looking at your friend’s followers. If somebody knows your username, they can go to your public Instagram page and see all of your photos.
If you make your account private, only people to whom you’ve granted permission can see your photos.
Can I edit or delete photos once I’ve posted them on Instagram?
Yes, you can edit photo captions and tags after you’ve posted them, and you can delete or archive photos so they don’t appear on your page.