Bring The Old Instagram Back!
Instagram–the social media app we all know and love is constantly changing its elements. Recently, many celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian, have pointed out issues with the app that impact user experience and influencer earnings. Moreover, Instagram and Facebook, both owned by Meta, implemented changes where videos are shown more than photos, and sponsored posts take up a huge portion of the timeline real estate.
Instagram’s beginnings
Furthermore, Instagram was released on October 6th, 2010 with 25,000 users on the first day. From the very beginning, Instagram was destined for success. Now with over 1.4 billion users around the world, Instagram remains one of the top social media apps. In 2012, Meta the same company that owns Facebook purchased the app for one billion dollars. In 2013, Instagram announced its 15-second video sharing feature. Then CEO Kevin Systrom said: “What we did to photos, we just did to video.” Instagram remained a top app for years without the need for ads or sponsored posts. The initial introduction of videos to Instagram posed no problem for years, until now. Many believe that Tik Tok is to blame for the influx of videos on Instagram and that the apps are meshing into one another. Because of Tiktok’s overwhelming success, it’s no surprise that Meta is attempting to follow suit.
Complaints
Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian recently posted a graphic that said “Bring the Old Instagram Back”. This is somewhat ironic considering both celebrities play a huge role in the problem. Most users complain about sponsored and suggested posts on their timeline which usually come from celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian. But I digress.
Additionally, Many Twitter users have expressed their feelings towards the platform and advocate for the app to return to its original glory.
Sponsored, Suggested posts, and Instagram Reels
Additionally, aside from videos, suggested and sponsored posts to seem to bother many Instagram users. Sponsored posts were introduced to Instagram to help businesses and influencers increase engagement on their posts. If a post is sponsored, it will appear on someone’s timeline without them following the person or business who posted it. This is a problem because Instagram users only want to see content from those they are following. While sponsor posts give businesses a chance to expand their reach, many people don’t like this feature. Instagram reels replicate the regular Instagram feed but with videos instead of photos. The layout of Instagram reels is indicative of Tik Tok. Many users feel that both apps should be separate and serve different purposes. Instead, it seems like the apps are merging into each other.
Moreover, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri responded to the recent controversy in a Twitter video. “We are going to continue to support photos…but more and more of Instagram is going to become videos over time.” Mosseri said. In response to the suggested posts, Mosseri claimed that users can turn off recommendations if they don’t want to see them. However, he also stated his support for creators and their success. His statement seemed to only address the creator preferences and left out everyday Instagram users and their wishes.
So, do you want the old Instagram back?
