A visitor eats an edible balloon at the Museum of Ice Cream across from the Whitney Museum in New York City, July 29, 2016. Photo by: Kena Betancur/Getty Images
Many cities are changing because of social media use. Social media is a form of online community. Certain apps focus on photos. Instagram is a very popular example. It has 800 million users. That is 10 percent of the world's population.

Public and private spaces are changing to attract social media users. The way the world looks is changing because of it. Call it the "Instagramization" of the world.

Restaurants now depend on social media popularity. Owners make their restaurants and food picture-friendly. Chefs even make "stunt foods" like unicorn frappucinos.

Museums Are Instagram Hits

Museums are also playing the Instagram game. Big exhibits, or shows, have become Instagram hits. Many museums are trying to copy that model. They even change their buildings' layouts to encourage selfies.

There are now made-for-Instagram "experiences." The best-known example is The Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco, California. It is a group of rooms that are basically photo sets. The "museum" has been wildly popular.

Instagram is also changing how people travel. Lists like "The Most Instagrammable Places in London (England)" are very common. They often include places not normally visited. Travelers end up going to places just for the photo.

Some say the Instagramization of the world makes everything look the same. Kyle Chayka is a writer. He believes this. Many coffee shops and hotels found in London, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles, California, are decorated the same. So what's the point in traveling, he asks?

Copying Friends

Social media can also put people in a bubble. People go where their friends on social media go.

Michiel de Lange is a professor that studies social media. He teaches in Europe. He says the "bubble" goes against the values of Jane Jacobs. Jacobs studied cities. She believed that one of a city's greatest purposes was to bring different groups of strangers together.

Finally, many think we should stop using so much social media. They think it is a bad idea to always take pictures. Instead of taking a photo, people should just look.

Janelle likes using Instagram. But even he thinks there is something special in not always taking a photo. He thinks people just want "wonderful experiences." Whether or not they go on Instagram is beside the point.

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