Whenever you see any tech platform really take off and exploded in popularity in a short period of time, people are always wondering what kind of magic it was able to create almost out of thin air to enjoy that kind of meat your ex success. And while it is almost always true that the super increase in popularity is almost a direct result of years and years of hard work that the public will never be aware of, there are also a number of criteria and specific reasons that Instagram has become the titan that it is today.

Here are just a handful of those reasons.

It was created by young people specifically for young people

While almost all of the social media networks out there today were created by younger people, the fact of the matter is that very few of them were specifically created for younger people. Facebook was designed and aimed specifically at college students originally, but it quickly became the global phenomenon that it is today by opening up its doors to almost anyone and everyone. Twitter was released and exposed to the wild for all ages right off the bat, and LinkedIn is specifically designed for business and working age people.

But not Instagram – Instagram is a younger person’s social media platform, one where teenagers and young adults feel most at home and other people don’t feel exactly as comfortable. This has given those looking for a refuge from the older population swarming Facebook a safe haven, contribute directly to its popularity.

There are truly are inspiring photographs on Instagram

While originally starting off as nothing more than a simple set of filters you could slap on any picture your camera phone took and then upload it to the platform, Instagram has quickly become a place for photographers of all skill levels and experience to show off their best shots and editing to the world.

More and more people are taking their Instagram pictures seriously, and enjoying real popularity, fame, and financial rewards because of it. It’s not that hard to find a whole lot of pictures of hipsters and their lunch, but it’s even easier to find truly stunning pieces of art that people were able to create with nothing more than their camera phone, a bit of skill, and some Instagram filters.

Shockingly, Instagram is actually instant

Cutting all ties with wires and computers while still offering the ability to edit and upload all of your favorite photographs is a big reason why Instagram has quickly become as popular as it is. More and more people are getting used to the idea of having a single solution for their technology, and it is coming in the form of the smart phones that they buy. This has helped to make Instagram a big part of the mobile computing movement, and one of the most popular websites on the planet today.