Instagram’s new ‘Collaborative Carousel’ feature connects students through posts
Be sure to check out the suggested Huddle question at the bottom of this article to have an engaging conversation on this topic with your students in class!
One of students’ favorite apps, Instagram, has just unveiled its latest feature: collaborative carousels. Instagram carousels are posts that contain more than one photo or video, which users can view by swiping left on a post through the phone app. Instagram is now making these types of posts collaborative by allowing users to invite others to contribute photos or videos to their posts, fostering a sense of community and shared experiences.
For educators, staying informed about social media developments, such as Instagram’s new collaborative carousels, allows them to better understand what impacts students’ lives outside of the classroom. It’s not just about staying informed on new social media updates, but understanding the impact these features can have on students so that educators can support and improve student well-being. Let’s huddle up on how to empower students to navigate collaborative carousels in positive ways.
How Collaborative Carousels are Impacting Students
Imagine a school event or birthday party captured from multiple perspectives in one post– this is the essence of collaborative carousels. ICloud and Google Photos first introduced collaborative photo albums several years ago. These albums allow you to invite others to share photos collectively so that everyone invited to the album can share their photos. Now, Instagram is taking this technology to social media through collaborative carousel posts.
Collaborative carousels work just like this– imagine you went on a vacation to the beach with your friends, and want to share the photos you took on social media. However, you know multiple others in your group have photos they want to share too. With collaborative carousels, you can use the collaborative feature to invite your friends to add photos to your carousel post. As the owner of the post, you have the power to send invitations and decline people requesting to collaborate on your post. You also have the power to veto photos and videos people want to add to the post.
While this feature offers a creative outlet that brings people together online, it also reminds us to be careful of what we post online. While the owner of a collaborative carousel has the power to choose what ends up on the post, it doesn’t eliminate the possibility that a student may share something that is hurtful to others. To avoid this, educators can empower students to evaluate what content is appropriate to share on someone else’s page, as well as help them overcome FOMO (fear of missing out) if they’re left out of a collaborative carousel.
The introduction of collaborative carousels introduces a new layer to online interactions among students. Educators can anticipate positive impacts, such as enhanced creativity and community-building, but they also may need to tackle challenges like privacy concerns and fostering an inclusive online environment.
TSI’s Take
Instagram’s collaborative carousels highlight an opportunity for students to play to their core and invite others to join them. By huddling with students on topics like collaborative posting, consent, and privacy, educators can empower students to make choices online that reflect their core values, while they collaborate and show their creativity with their friends.
Huddling with students about the importance of playing to their core reminds them that putting their best foot forward online not only makes social media more enjoyable for them and others but also improves their self-esteem and reputation when they’re proud of what they post.
Empower your students to play to their core as they navigate social media with these tips:
- Always obtain someone’s consent before you post: Posting photos or content of others without their approval is not only illegal but can be hurtful and potentially damage their reputation.
- Step away from social media if you are feeling FOMO: Remind students that everyone feels left out sometimes, and while FOMO doesn’t feel great, taking a step away from social media and focusing on your goals minimizes the feelings of FOMO, and helps with self-empowerment.
- Think before inviting someone to your Instagram Carousel: If a student wants to make their post collaborative, remind them to be careful about who they invite, and to never invite strangers. If a student feels like someone may post something hurtful or inappropriate, let them know they shouldn’t feel pressured to send an invite.
When educators empower students to be mindful of their actions online, students can protect their well-being. For more tips to help students make responsible decisions online, check out our Grade 10 #WinAtSocial Play To Your Core lesson: Redefining how we portray ourselves authentically on social media. Don’t have #WinAtSocial and want to get started? Request a demo of our student-driven lessons today.
#WinAtSocial Huddle Question
Huddle with your students
Let’s say you get a notification that a friend tagged you in a post. You go to open the app and see the photo come up in your feed, and it’s totally not a photo you wanted them to post! It’s happened to many of us before, and it never feels great. What would you do in this situation?
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.