There are many contradicting opinions about Instagram and its effects on young people. Some studies and opinion pieces have cautioned it’s ability to affect young people’s sense of self worth, while at the same time allowing more opportunities for bullying and harassment to take place without adult supervision. Others, however, see Instagram as an outlet for young people’s self expression and a place for connection, particularly for sexual, gender or racial minority students. Personally, I find elements of both arguments to ring true and believe that by including Instagram (and other media) in the classroom we can lessen the damaging aspects.

Not as popular among adolescents as Snapchat, but more popular than Facebook, Instagram is a mainstay in a majority of young people’s social media deck. Instagram is unique as it’s primary mode of communication is visual. Whether one is scrolling through their main feed or swiping through Instastories, videos and pictures are formatted via the app to take up the majority of a smartphones display frame. Text and tags (hashtag or account/people tagging) can be added to Instagram stories, and captions up to 2,200 characters exist under posts, but at it’s core, Instagram is meant to appeal visually making it a unique and creative form of communication. If one wants to communicate anything of great value or importance on Instagram they need to figure out how to do so in a succinct and efficient manner, making Instagram an useful tool for learning clarity in writing and communication.

As an educational tool, I believe using Instagram in the sexuality education classroom can (1) assist in assessing learning objectives, (2) make content more applicable and (3) enhance media literacy. Instagram is accessible not only through the app but via the web page. Students that don’t have smart phones can still access and post on Instagram via desktop/laptop computer or tablet.In my sexuality education classes for upper and middle grades I propose asking students to create social media campaigns on self selected content related to focus/unit at the time, i.e., puberty, safer sex & birth control options, gender roles, healthy relationships, pleasure, first time sex etc. All of my lessons are inclusive of LGBTQIA+ identities as well as challenge the gender binary. I’d ask student’s to create social media campaigns that are factual, educational and captivating exmp. ‘The clitoris is the only organ in the body whose primary and only function is pleasure’ or ‘Did you know you can have sex while HIV+?’, therefore, assessing learning objectives without using traditional testing methods.

Using a platform adolescents are already familiar with elicits self efficacy and increases confidence in communicating what is learned. Students find agency in choosing from classroom content what they think is most important to them or their community (school, friends etc) to create a campaign about, thus, facilitating connection between content and lived experiences. Additionally, Instagram’s visual format, as mentioned above, not only promotes clarity but allows for creativity. Students who may not do well on written or verbal assignments, may excel at creating a visually captivating campaign that is also factual and concise.

As for enhancing media literacy, creating Instagram sexuality education accounts or campaigns can assist in analyzation of problematic social standards. Social media (and all media) tends to amplify heteronormative and binary gender values. By creating sex positive content students analyze harmful behavioral norms and contribute to the resistance and resilience of sexual, gender and racial minorities.