Each person must have their own purpose in using Instagram.
Some are using it to enjoy the popular photo galleries, there are some people
who use it to show off selfie photos, or some of them use it to observe the
growth of their babies through all photos uploaded.
But let's think more broadly; can Instagram be used for
scientific purposes? Or more specifically, can Instagram be used to monitor
climate change? Yes it can, and that's what has been done since 2012 by
ISeeChange project.
The idea is actually very simple, which invites Instagram
users to insert hashtag #ISeeChange on the photo or video when they find
changes in the surrounding environment. In other words, this project utilizes
crowdsourcing method to gather weather data from different parts of the world.
“It’s the little changes—the details we see on our regular
walks, in our homes, the small talk at the post office or the corner store—that
can add up to big, big differences.” said Julia Kumari Drapkin as lead producer
for iSeeChange.
Simply put, if you see something different from the trees
near your favorite cafe, all you need to do is take a picture and add hashtag
#ISeeChange so that the researchers can use the data in their analysis.
In the United States, this year ISeeChange has cooperated
with 8 radio stations and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The crowdsourcing
indeed is an effective data collection method, especially because the social
media like Instagram is so accessible.
If you are still skeptical about the ISeeChange project or
the like, one example which's quite successful is when the flood almost drowned
Jakarta at the end of last year. Through the photos uploaded to Twitter,
PetaJakarta.org had successfully mapped the points where water flooded the
streets in the capital city. Again, all of this can happen thanks to the
crowdsourcing method.