I consider myself to be a humorous person. Sometimes, my jokes go too far without realizing, but I would never intentionally make a remark with malicious intent. I have said in my life that Instagram is like Twitter for people who can’t read. Yes, this is a funny line, and in many ways has a lot of truth to it. But looking back, I have mixed feelings about saying this. There are many people today, even in a progressing society, who don’t know how to read. Some people may have cognitive disabilities, and others in third world countries and poor civilizations may not be exposed to necessary resources and educational opportunities connected with learning how to read.

Let’s also think about children. Children who have yet to learn how to read take comfort in looking at pictures. They are able to understand a story or a main idea with a mere image, which is exactly what Instagram is used for. I am by no means encouraging children to create social media accounts at young ages. However, if their parents or older siblings are viewing Instagram in their presence, and they still do not know how to read, they can at least feel in the loop and able to understand content via the picture posted on Instagram. Instagram is more than an application for people to compete with one another to get the most likes. Instagram has greater means for purposes other than its users with low self-esteem who post obviously edited photos in order to feel more attractive and boost their confidence levels and self image ideologies.

Children and individuals with disabilities are interconnected in the sense that the two have not fully grasped reading and writing skills. Therefore, they are able to use emojis to communicate and caption their photos via Instagram. Pictorials and visual aids are essential for some individuals to relay their thoughts and ideas. While people can post Emojis on Twitter, they are not able to share photos in the same way as Instagram. Individuals with disabilities who rely on technology to express their thoughts and may have trouble reading can feel at ease as they view the photos and emojis featured on Instagram.

Reading is a luxury, and not all individuals have this capability. Some struggle to read due to cognitive, emotional, mental, developmental, and learning disabilities, as well as for other miscellaneous reasons. In a sense, saying that Instagram is like Twitter for those who can’t read is degrading for some individuals. My comment has made me aware of what I say and to think carefully before I speak. I hope that others will learn from my mistake, and I hope to prevent making similar errors in the future. While I did not target a specific group of people, I do realize how my comment can be seen as offensive and be taken the wrong way! I hope that people use social media to connect and learn from others, and I do not feel that any group of people who cannot read should be left out of such an opportunity!