Generally, both activities are considered actual social meet-ups. Those who participate say that they enjoy these activities because they involve a variety of occasions of interaction with other users, such as giving and receiving advice, having a simple chat or having a coffee at the end of the meet-up/walk. Some people might consider these activities not really social because they think that do not allow proper social contacts, as all the participants are busy taking photographs independently. Despite the fact that meet-ups and walks per se might not involve much social contact, many people enjoy that they often end up all together in a pub or a coffee shop. Both InstaMeets and InstaWalks are generally considered a good way to create social connections, as they happen offline and allow people to engage at a deeper level. In fact, through these offline photographic activities, people find the concretisations of those mediated connections that Instagram triggers. Through these meet-ups, physical and mediated worlds overlap, showing the persisting dependence from one world to the other, reminiscent of the concept of ‘life mix’ discussed earlier, that is, the necessity to experience sociality at both levels.
InstaMeets and InstaWalks are seen as having both positive and negative aspects in how they connect Instagram users. While for some the shared interest in photography is the connecting point, for others it seems to be what keeps people apart, as in certain cases the interest in taking photographs overcomes the opportunities to have a chat with other participants. Andreas, for example, has a positive opinion of InstaMeets precisely because they are different compared to other social media platforms where people post everything, from their pets to new-borns. He can see in Instagram opportunities to meet and communicate with new people. Andreas really enjoys that everybody during InstaMeets takes photographs. He knows that when he joins an InstaMeet, he will meet people he wants to take pictures with, and this is for him the most important social aspect. Similarly, Giulio considers InstaMeets the actualisation of the Instagram experience, where people that like and comment on each other’s photos have the chance to meet face-to-face, as for him meeting people in person is crucial.
For other people, instead, Instagram offline experiences have a negative connotation. For example, Michela once was in Florence for an InstaMeet that involved a walk in an underground museum. Although there was no Internet connection in the museum, she saw someone sharing photographs. Then she realised that that man was using a portable modem. For Michela, there was not need to carry around a modem as it was supposed to be a social event where people were there to know each other rather than spending the entire time on their phone. Many people who join InstaMeets and InstaWalks are very passionate about their photography and Instagram. This sometimes makes people complain that being part of InstaMeets is not as social as they expected and that people are so addicted to smart phonography they leave out the social purpose of the meet-up. However, in both cases (positive and negative experiences of offline meet-ups), the Igers communities bring Instagram users offline with the aim of enhancing and enriching the social practice of photography.
Owa, similar to Michela, finds that many events are attended by Instagram users who are not interested enough in meeting people. This is the reason why in Berlin a small group was created separate from IgersBerlin, called ‘Happy Family’ precisely with the purpose of being more social and supportive. The ‘Happy Family’ is a small community that gathers together great photographers as well as people with 10 followers and/or private accounts. The ‘Happy Family’ focuses their meet-ups more on creating social connections than posting great photographs. They also take photos of each other as a playful way to socially engage and spent time together.
Instagram Communities: Online and Offline
