Instagram, the Facebook-owned photo-sharing app, has boomed into an ever-growing insta-tution! A favorite among millennials, the platform’s user community continues to soar exponentially thanks to added features like Stories, and to its ease of accessibility for low-end phones.

Recod.net reports that it took Instagram nine months to rise from 400M to 500M active users, six months to then get to 600M, and only four months to boast 700M. At such a growth rate, Instagram could see 1 billion users before the end of the year. So why are so many people turning to Instagram?

Younger people prefer Instagram to Facebook

Facebook, once the social-network leader, is now falling second place in growth to Instagram among those aged 18 to 49, and third place to those age 13-17 (with Snapchat commandeering a top slot among teens). Instagram’s simplicity, ease of use and exclusive focus on photos helps minimize the clutter and distraction often associated with facebook. 

Who is using Instagram?

According to a 2015 Pew Research study of U.S. residents, 55% of internet-using adults ages 18 to 29 use Instagram, and internet-using women are more likely to use the app than men (31% vs. 24%). Incidentally, a 2015 Business Insider article suggests that millenials remain a key demographic for online spending and that women make more purchases than men. 

With Instagram’s top demographic matching those most likely to spend money online, it’s no wonder Forbes reports the platform reached over 1 million advertisers (mostly fueled by small businesses).

The real question is whether or not the Insta-trend will stick. A survey of roughly 5,500 teens conducted by Piper Jaffray, found that Snapchat was the choice app for teens in American for the past two years. Soon enough these teens will become the main source of marketing focus and could perhaps make Instagram as passé as its parent company.

According to CS Money, this next generation of future purchases appear to be leaving social media altogether. It’s up to Instagram to not only try to keep their young users, but to find out where they’re wanting to go to next.