First you get a smartphone, then you get your lunch, what do you get? Instagram! Instagram! Instagram!

The photo-sharing website has infected so many people that a flu shot will be the least of our concerns. It is corrupting the meaning of photography. What happened to good old Photoshop where carefully editing a picture was an art?

The pictures you see in the newspaper that you are reading did not have filters and hastags slapped onto them; instead, our photographers work hard to take pictures that they later tweak in Photoshop.

Photoshop, like Instagram, also has filters. And it doesn’t end there. Along with the filters come far more tools that actually provide more opportunities to express yourself and make a better photo instead of slapping on a pre-made filter.

Photography can’t just be made with a few taps. Instagram is removing originality and personality from photography.

Let me break that down into simple terms. A real photo can be compared to the fresh burger from In-N-Out made with love. Then there is the Instagram photo, the pre-assembled, reheated “100 percent beef” sandwich from McDonalds that is pretty much the same, no matter what branch, or in this case, profile you visit.

Today, I will come across “___ liked X number of photos on Instagram” in my Facebook newsfeed. When I stop and look at the thumbnails, I simply try to wrap my head around how a selfie or bagel with a grainy filter is supposed to be meaningful.

Now, why would you buy a $199 smartphone with a $30 per month data plan and use its eight megapixel camera to take pictures of yourself and lower the quality with a low-res filter? Take a picture of something with meaning so you can put that camera to better use.

I don’t know about you, but if my friend ran up to me and shoved a bagel or muffin in my face shouting “Hashtag delicious!” or “Hashtag breakfast for lunch!” I and many others would normally shout “Shut up!” and grab the food from the person’s hands and throw it on the ground. I’m not sure if we would put our thumbs up saying “I approve!” or “Like!”

"Instagrammers," as Instagram users proclaim themselves, often defend with the general statement, “Well, Instagram is a good way to express your individuality through photos instead of text!”

Well, most people have a face, and most of the people I know eat and drink the same food that are found in an Instagram picture, so there’s nothing special when you put up a picture of your snack.

Instagrammers, consider this: If your precious Instagram is photography or art, then we might as call Twitter writing.

What’s the matter? Did I hurt your bagel’s feelings?