By Jasmine Bar

Instagram is an online photo sharing, video-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, apply digital filters to them, and share them. Users are also able to record and share short videos lasting for up to 15 seconds. The Instagram app was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and launched in October 2010. The app rapidly gained popularity, with over 150 million active users as of 2014.

A distinctive feature of Instagram is its hashtags. A hashtag is a word or phrase prefixed with the hash symbol (#). On Instagram, pictures with the same hashtags are grouped together. When you search for the hashtag, you can view all the pictures that contain it.

A new form of social networking creativity, typically known as the “Insta days of the week” has arisen on Instagram, and it is made possible by the world of hashtagging. Each day of the week, there is a word or phrase that begins with the same letter of that day’s name. On these particular days, many photos go along with the theme of the weekly Instagram hashtag.

The week is kicked off with #ManCrushMonday, a hashtag typically reserved for fan girls who eagerly upload pictures of their male celebrity crushes.

Tuesday is typically #TransformationTuesday, in which people post “before and after” or “then and now” photos. Many present pictures of themselves at a younger age and then a more recent photo, to show how they have progressed throughout the years. For dancers, Tuesday is also an opportunity to show off their skills with a #TiltTuesday.

On Wednesday, you have #WomanCrushWednesday, where people usually post pictures of their favorite female celebrity crushes. Wednesday can also be used as a memory day with #WayBackWednesday.

Then comes Thursday, which unarguably boasts the most popular hashtag of #ThrowBackThursday. Thursday’s feed is dominated with pictures from the past, ranging from adorable baby pictures to memorable vacations to pictures from just a few days ago.

The weekdays are finished off with a #FlashbackFriday, which is another opportunity to reflect on precious memories from the past.

And just in case there weren’t enough chances for you to post a picture from the olden days, Saturday can be used as a #SetbackSaturday.

And last but not least, #SelfieSunday is accompanied by an abundance of “selfies” or self-portrait photographs, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone.

Although people rarely post a picture every day for each “Insta day of the week”, it is safe to say that these hashtags are well known to social networking users. Whether you want to express your love for your favorite celebrity or share a recollection from the past, the “Insta days of the week” are opportunities for all Instagram users to upload their own creative photos.