Instagram's New Priorities

Remember simple times when instagram was just an app where you posted a photo of your most recent meal? 

Photo by Eaters Collective on Unsplash

Well, those days are long behind us.

This month, Instagram released a new update that makes it far too easy spend even more of our time on the platform. Where the ‘new post’ button used to be, there’s now a ‘reels’ section. Once you click that button, you’re launched into an endless stream of short, user-made videos curated to meet your needs and tickle your fancy. The ‘activity’ tab has been replaced by a new shopping feature. Instead of seeing who liked your photo, or who tagged you in a comment– you are now seeing shopping suggestions from accounts you follow, or accounts that Instagram believes you will like. 

The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, shared a blogpost after the update of the application, where he discussed ‘why’ behind the recent changes. He claimed that it all boiled down to the fact culture has changed a lot since Instagram was first released. We don’t create and consume things the same way anymore. Instagram needs to stay interesting, and in order to do that, they need to make big changes before the app becomes irrelevant.

Instagram used to prioritize image-sharing. The platform was created for friends to share pictures from their daily lives with each other. It’s adapted and changed many times throughout the years, but this update feels like a big one. With this new update, Instagram no longer prioritizes image-sharing, but consumerism. It’s like Instagram is trying to pull our attention from other apps we use, which is exactly what they’re trying to do. If TikTok is taking users away from Instagram, of course Instagram is going to add a feature (reels) that rivals what TikTok can do. And if we are doing a lot of shopping on our phones anyway, why not just shop on Instagram? Instagram is changing its priorities, and that’s clear by the features they are promoting.

Photo by Neonbrand on Unsplash

Most young adults I’ve talked to about the new update don’t like the new features. One Trinity Western University student, Lydia, said, “It’s like my fingers have muscle memory. I automatically click on the activity tab, and then find myself scrolling through the shops, even though I don’t want necessarily want to.” She went on to say, “I don’t want to do my shopping on Instagram. I want to post a photo from my hike the other day.” Another student, Jennifer, had an interesting perspective on the new update. Jennifer mentioned that it’s actually a great way to support small and local businesses through the pandemic.

It’s sad, but true, that Instagram needs to change in order to stay relevant. We get bored fast and our attention spans are not that long. If Instagram can’t meet all our needs, why would we even use it? Still, Instagram started as a platform for sharing photos. Now it’s a platform that feels like it is trying too hard to keep us hooked and addicted. However, maybe it is best that we, like Jennifer, try to see the bright side in the update. 

We can help support small businesses in a time of great need, and it’s another way to get our Christmas shopping done.