If we are to believe recent public opinion, the once-reigning social media platform is dead – or at least on its way there.
Its evolution from a simple photo-sharing platform to arguably the poster child of capitalism has been weighing on plenty of its users, with many of them finding that their experience on it has changed for the worse. Some cited the lack of engagement they were getting due to the new, hard-to-crack algorithm disheartening, while others simply said they missed when the platform was less about showing off and more about sharing whatever they wanted.
Most also pointed to the new addition of Reels to the app as a main catalyst for Instagram’s change, saying that it was clear Instagram had become greedy, wanting to encapsulate audiences of all forms of content. Instagram’s move to include Reels is one that was arguably made to counter the rising popularity of rival platform TikTok, whose entrance into the market pushed public attention squarely to the short form video format. This tactic isn’t new for Instagram at all – it had already once successfully wrested attention from social media Snapchat and its (then) novel idea of ‘disappearing messages’, repurposing the technology into their Stories function, which are now seen as a key part of Instagram culture.
The addition of Reels to the platform included more advanced video editing functions and the support of an additional media format – sounds. Meant to support the creation of Reels by serving as a building block on which videos could more easily be made. This supposedly small change has birthed a larger one within the platform and the way users behave on it – sounds have now become a big part of ‘trends’ in the Reels department, with many songs prompting the creation of certain types and formats of Reels – trends that dictate everything from the content of said Reel to even the editing style it employs.
Of all the sounds I’ve encountered thus far while trawling on Instagram, one particular one has stood out to me – a simple jingle consisting of a feminine voice singing “Everything is content, everything is content. Don’t forget to film it, don’t forget to film it.” On a similar note is the trend going around of creators posting a single picture in the form of a Reel, with text superimposed on the foreground saying – “People only pay attention to Reels these days, so here’s a picture in the form of a Reel.”
Though Instagram’s segue into the short form video market has seemed successful by all means, I can’t help agreeing with the view that it has actually been detrimental to its image as a whole. “Miss when Instagram was just pictures” has grown to be a relatively common public sentiment, but it’s clear that the true change it has undergone is much deeper than that.
Its move to support as many forms of media as possible, as well as their move towards commerce through the introduction of the Shopping function, places Instagram far away from their previous place as a simple photo-sharer into a thorny world filled with advertisements and unwelcome commercial messages, alienating their users into feeling that they can no longer relate with any of the content available on the platform. Though all the changes the platform underwent was supposed to make content more enjoyable for the consumer, promising variety as well as an easier way of finding people that shared niche interests through a sharper algorithm, Instagram has failed to deliver on their promises to their traditional user base, choosing instead to expand on the commercial side of things.
Of course, this is not news to anyone – but when will the next Instagram appear?
Hi! thank you for this blog. I found it well-articulated and your experience of the changes in the app resonate with me as I am feeling more and more averse towards interacting with it. While I like sending reels to friends every so often, I did not download Instagram to look at a curated version of TikTok. I would like to add that another change that deteriorated my user experience is the rise of ads on the platform: for every two or three posts/reels I see on my home page, I get to look at sponsored content, same deal with stories. I fear that users posting longer videos will have to insert ad moments in them. How do you feel about this? Are there other changes to the platform you are experiencing?
Hi! I do agree with the general feeling that instagram has become “worse”. The platform seems like a wannabe tiktok with the reels, and I remember when stories were added. Everyone said it was just copying snapchat.
It seems like instagram just tries to capitalize on new trends instead of innovating new features/improving the user experience.
Hi hi, Thank you for this post. I agree with the feeling of how Instagram has changed. Personally, I never look at the images or photos anymore, I immediately go to the discover page or the reels. However, I did not like the change of the shop category being added, because that just feels too much out of the brand for what it was originally supposed to be. Besides most of the times for what I have seen is that the reels are mostly TikTok videos but reposted, so the whole idea of reels feel useless if I can just go to TikTok and see them there. But on the other hand it does spread to more audiences if posted on both apps. In general I feel like Instagram is trying to hold on to a thread keeping themselves above water.
This is a very interesting discussion! In the spirit of ‘standing still is going backward,’ I don’t consider Instagram’s Reels a greedy or wrong decision, but a necessary one. To me, it’s also telling that TikToks are reposted as Reels on Instagram. Apparently, there’s something lacking or a group of users who refuse to download TikTok for some reason —> (https://www.tiktok.com/@tobyrozario/video/7105155827270536449?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7105155827270536449). Instagram has to continuously innovate itself and keep track with new developments, sticking to its original format will inevitably cause its downfall.
Hello, thank you for this blog post. I believe there is a lot of changes that are now happening on Instagram, which were not necessarily expected, but people are not surprised by. This is probably due to the fact that social platforms have become so competitive (especially TikTok and Instagram), and also due to content and “trends“ changing so rapidly.
I have heard feedback about this new algorithm update from a content creator, he talked about how hard it is for creators to engage with their audience now, because Instagram shows posts which are most successful (in likes and comments), and of course loads of adds. Therefore, your followers are less likely to view and engage with your content if you do not post them at the right time of the day when they are active, etc. And of course, it is not only a photography platform anymore, but a video platform too. So, there is always bigger change that you will see Reels on your ”for you page” rather than a photo. I feel like this puts a lot of pressure on people who are trying to use Instagram for its original purpose – photo sharing, and that is why I agree with what you wrote about.
I agree with Anouk, and all the above comments; Instagram has changed and will keep changing. This app has many functions today, either to ‘show off’ or sponsor their business. I personally use it to keep up with the news of people that I admire, such as actors and singers.