One of my favorite apps that I use on a daily (ok fine, hourly) basis is Instagram. In a short amount of time Instagram has become an incredibly popular app. People love being able to take pictures of what they are doing, alter them and then link the pictures to their Instagram and other social media accounts. The most popular photos on Instagram usually consist of mouthwatering meals, travel shots, time with friends and family and my personal favorite, pictures of my cute dog.

By the end of 2012 there were over 100 million Instagram users and as time goes by, more people are succumbing to Instagram’s allure. Celebrities and brands are also jumping on the bandwagon; using Instagram to promote their products and inform their fans of what’s going on in their lives.

Using Instagram is quick, easy. It’s a lot of fun putting filters on your different pictures to make them more interesting. And for you Instagram power users, you can even create collages using partner applications such as Instaframes to display your photo collages.

Along with all the beautiful pictures we’ve been given thanks to Instagram, the company has also brought new terms and hash tags into the mix as well! Instagramers use terms like #Regram #nofilter #tbt (throwback Thursday) and more in the comment boxes of their pictures. That being said, my favorite feature of Instagram would have to be the option to put filters on your pictures. There are 20 different filter options to transform your picture from normal to Kelvin to Valencia to black and white and more.

While in general, social media is accessed through a mix of mobile and desktop usage, Instagram is unique in that it is almost entirely used through mobile devices. I’m excited to see the upgrades Instagram makes to their app in the coming months! For all of you out there still holding out on the power (and beauty) of Istagram, remember: a picture is worth a thousand words.