Google Glass and the Artistic Integrity of Instagram

Social media's most popular applications are intended for sharing with people all over the world. Instagram is no exception, and it is a great way to share the artistic integrity of one's work.

The majority of users, however, use the app to document their daily activities with inscrutable precision. The bottom line is that Instagram is interned in pointless-post-overload.

I cannot speak for the developers of Instagram but I believe they had the intention of inspiring an artistic integrity with a new medium. With camera phones' exponential improvement, photographing the truly beautiful and often overlooked moments of life is possible; Instagram became a tool for sharing those "stop and smell the roses" moments.

Innovation is on the way, though, in the form of a product many view with a dubious outlook. The Google Glass is wearable tech that will have many practical applications: face-GPS and face--video camera to name a few. There are several speculations on what this product could potentially become, and while it's in the Explorer "beta", many more applications will surely be devised by developers and creative early adopters as testing continues. Upon release, Glass' own app store will be brimming with impressive tools, many of which could become official/unofficial companion apps for Instagram.

My two cents about Glass concerns Instagram. The artistic integrity of the application will most certainly see a revival. Stunning new works of art will be possible with a hands free method of picture taking--imagine the photos rock climbers could take? Many of the most popular accounts feature food; aspiring chefs can snap pictures or record video of their deft work in progress. Hands Free tech like Glass will bring true first person perspectives--live as they happen.

Glass accessories can vary to suit all types of activities.

As a personal example, I am a participant of yearly Tough Mudder mud runs in my area. When Glass hits the retail market, accessories and peripherals will be created to protect these devices from harm. It would be fascinating to one day upload live pictures and video of my performance (GoPro will have tough competition), so that friends and family who could not attend the event can get an even better perspective on the action than those who came out to spectate. Obstacles like the Arctic Enema, Cage Crawl, and Electroshock Therapy would be far more intense from a first person point of view.

Glass would be a welcome update to the human experience. New reporters could provide live coverage of events independently; stage performances from Broadway could upload snippets of footage and photos from their performances in a brand new marketing paradigm; spouses could finally end feuds over what wasn't purchased at the grocery store because of miscommunication.

This is, of course, conjecture, and the requirement of accessible WiFi at a Tough Mudder, for example, or mobile network connectivity through a provider would be necessary to make the live element a possibility. Nevertheless, the upcoming release of Glass adds another perspective, one that will, if nothing else, cut down on the rate of "duck face" submissions.