Boobstagram: Yes It’s Real

By Caitlin Corsetti

If you’ve been anywhere on the interwebs or have some sort of smart phone, then you know about Instagram. Facebook recently acquired the photo-sharing company for some Zuckerberg pocket change of $1 billion. Apps like this always have knockoffs, kind of like designer handbags. Remember when Pinspire ripped off Pinterest? Well that’s still going on, and Pinspire is failing. And I’m going to shamelessly plug our Pinterest account while I’ve got you’re attention!

Anyway, there are similar apps to Instagram like Hipstamatic, which is still less trendy so if you’re a hipster you can still use it. We happened to stumble upon Boobstagram. And yes, it’s real. I wasn’t all that surprised when I found out given the kinds of things we have access to these days. But I was extremely surprised when I found out that Boobstagram isn’t quite what you think. Upon first glance, it seems like a site with Instagram photos of boobs. It’s boobs galore! They’re all clothed and not super scandalous, but it’s some serious cleavage. But once you look up,  you notice that the header says, “Showing your boobs on the web is good, showing them to your doctor is better.”

Yeah, I didn’t think that’s what it was about either. As I kept my glance up toward where the website’s eyes would be if it were a chick, I noticed a WHY? tab.

“Taking risks against breast cancer risk

The fight against cancer is long-standing; progresses are real but can seem slow compared with other diseases, despite considerable human and financial ressources dedicated to it.

We cannot all become doctors or surgeons. But we can all take part in prevention, for ourselves, for our friends and family and for others. But how? How to be heard in the public area overwhelmed with messages ? How to avoid the pitfall of moralism ? How to build a popular communication matching with the up-to-date scientific knowledge ? And how to create a rather fun prevention campaign when most campaigns use fear ?

That is what Boobstagram will attempt to realise, using the appropriation of the latest technologies.
by each.

By using this approach and by targeting young people, those most comfortable with new technologies and most comfortable with unconventional messages, we attempt to raise awareness amongst those who must change their behaviour today, in order to change their future tommorrow. It is indeed one extra challenge of this disease, that one prepares one’s cancer in 20, 30 or 40 years. However, raising awareness amongst young people about real but distant risks is extremely complex. There are several types of preventions:
Primary prevention that targets unhealthy behaviours
Secondary prevention that promotes early detection of disease, when medicine can be most effective

It is on those two axis that we will attempt to intervene with those illustrated messages that we hope to see circulate widely on social networks.

Glamorous, audacious, original, whatever the means, as long as the objective is fulfilled : To stay alive.

Julien GLT (founder of Boobstagram) and Lionel Pourtau (sociologist)”

So there you go. You can upload some pictures of your boobs to Boobstagram and fight breast cancer! I’m not so sure this is actually raising awareness as much as it is raising erections, but it’s an interesting tactic in the fight against breast cancer.

What do you think of Boobstagram? Is it really raising awareness for breast cancer or is it just pictures of cleavage?

Caitlin is a senior at the University of Alabama who has an obsession with cupcakes, coffee, and Harry Potter. She always has random fun facts on reserve and aspires to be a professional blogger, social media bug, and/or James Franco’s assistant. Follow her fabulous life @caitlincorsetti. You’re welcome!

[Image via We Heart It]