WTF Instagram?
Instagram has come a long way since Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched the photo-sharing app backing in 2010. Back then it was iPhone only with a bevvy of neat filters to quickly spruce up users 1x1 shots.
In 2012, the social media heavyweight Facebook acquired Instagram for a still mind-boggling $1 billion and has since become a mainstay in the top five apps on iOS and Android. Instagram released figures in 2016 stating that it had eclipsed 500 million users, there is little doubt it has become a heavyweight in its own right.
Direct messaging was added to Instagram in late 2013 because what we all need was another messaging app. This one allowed users to share photos with others directly from their feed however in my experience I still screenshot the post and share it through conventional instant messaging services (in my case iMessage and Facebook’s actually messaging service Messenger…) to avoid breaking the flow of the conversations. No one ever starts a conversation via direct messaging on Instagram.
Since Facebook has generally left Instagram along but in 2016 this began to change. In May, Instagram dropped its iconic Polaroid logo in favour of an apparently sleeker tie-die mess. It also overhauled the UI, introducing a black and white colour scheme, which unlike the logo was a welcome change as it highlighted the core use of the platform — beautiful photos.
A month later Instagram introduced an algorithm into the feed to show what it thinks the user wants to see rather than what was most recently posted (similar to what is used on, you know, Facebook…). This leads to content from accounts with more followers being catapulted up the feed even though it may be a day old.
In August, Instagram added a near-perfect copy of Snapchat stories to the top of users feeds. It was mocked at the time but it has slowly gained traction, Instagram claims stories has 150 million daily users (just shy of Snapchat’s 158 million). I actually don’t mind stories being at the top of my feed and I am now using it a couple times a week but its main benefit is it doesn’t impact upon Instagram’s core function. Since Facebook has added stories to Messenger and the mobile Facebook app. Facebook owns Instagram and Messenger and has the same function on both apps, is MZ really that salty about his failed $3 billion bid for Snapchat backing in 2013?
Let’s recap, Instagram has added messaging which is already on Facebook, an algorithm controlling the feed which is already on Facebook and stories which have since been added to Facebook. Plus there is live video which Facebook seems pretty keen on but it is just tacked onto the Instagram stories experience.
Why is Facebook trying to make Instagram more like Facebook? Maybe this article would be better titled “WTF Facebook?”…
Before I bring in the latest feature being tested for Instagram I want to go over what Instagram is for me…
I didn’t get my hands on Instagram until 2012 as I was a grubby-fingered Android user (no hate #OrignialMotoXwasBae). But when it was released on Google Play it opened my eyes to the possibilities of photography within 5 to 8 megapixels.
It was about picking that one perfect picture which encapsulated the event and further optimising it with a few easy tweaks and a filter. Instagram was the exciting and trendy social media that even with half-a-billion users still managed to feel exclusive.
Now Instagram is testing a feature that will move even further from its roots. The feature will allow users to post albums of up to 10 photos per post that can be swiped through horizontally (like carousel ads). WHY? 😭
I will admit, this could be a positive addition. I can see a comic artist taking good advantage of this feature or accounts linked with infographics. My eternal optimist friend, Matt Gencevski believes it will be a great feature for photographers which is certainly a possibility.
BUT, I feel my favourite social media platform slipping out of my once grubby 2012-self fingers. I can see parents posting a bunch of blurry photos of their children or aunties and uncles dumping all their sideway orientated photos from the latest family gathering. I can see it being abused in the same way that Facebook has been to the point where it is now a photo-sharing disaster zone.
INSTAGRAM WAS ABOUT SHARING PRETTY PICTURES, I’m losing control. 😵
Yes, Instagram is a free app and has the right to do whatever it wants within the confines of its app. It is MZ’s right to do whatever he wants with one of the most popular apps of all time but frankly, he is fucking it up, it doesn’t need to be (nor will it ever be) as big as Big Blue and that is okay.
For more on this I recommend listening to last weeks Mashtalk podcast down below.
