By Marah Hoffman ’22, guest writer
Instagram’s mission statement says, “We help you take a picture once, then share it instantly.” But what happens when this longstanding, internationally influential platform changes its mission, when photos become videos? Is it still the same medium so many users fell in love with? Does it still serve their needs?
In response to the rise of competing platforms, namely TikTok, Instagram decided to evolve into a video-focused app in the second half of 2021[1]. The catchy title selected for their version of short videos is “Reels.” Since the launch of Reels, Instagram has been pushing its visibility, to a high cost.
Due to a new algorithm created by Instagram, influencers who post Reels are significantly more likely to have their content promoted than influencers who post pictures. Being promoted by Instagram means your content becomes visible to users who are statistically determined to be likely to engage with it. Therefore, those who posted the content can be discovered by new users and, consequently, increase their following.
For many influencers, garnering Instagram’s support means maintaining their incomes and careers. It means survival.
Some influencers are certainly excited by the change. They are grateful for the opportunity to diversify their techniques and followings. Further, there are users who celebrate the similarities to TikTok. However, many mourn the death of the art they’d spent years acclimating to.
As an Instagram user myself, I found the dawn of 2022 full of complaints about the dreaded change, from influencers and users alike. The disappointment over the loss of photos pervaded the platform—not exactly fertile ground for Instagram’s idea.
The influencers who choose to appeal to Instagram’s preference for Reels struggle to explain the change to audiences. Many users lament the loss of the photographs. They are confused why they aren’t getting what they want. Isn’t it their preferences that should matter to those whose job it is to appeal to the masses? Evidently not.
Instagram began by repurposing and refining the ideas of similar apps like Facebook. The heart of the app, like its predecessor, was a shareable collection of memories. The method Instagram promised for this lofty pursuit was pictures, not videos.
While there are certainly overlaps between mediums, one cannot make the argument that one form can be a stand-in for another. Art is distinct. The form is meant to augment the message, and vice versa. Most people know the maxim: a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, when that picture starts moving and talking, it is no longer a picture. It does not partake in the same craft.
The construction of an aesthetic requires talent and technique. It is art, no matter the castigations of social media as frivolous. By controlling the format and visibility of content, Instagram ruptures this art form.
The essence of many angry influencers’ arguments is, “I am a photographer, not a videographer.” One influencer whose Insta-fame blossomed from a passion for photography is deeply disheartened. Like many other influencers, Jules Denby has taken to Instagram Stories to try to explain the switch in content to a frustrated following. When asked how she feels about the increasing dominance of Reels, Denby said, “UGH. That is how I feel lol.”
In a short interview conducted over Instagram’s messaging feature, Denby elaborated, saying, “I feel like with the Reels, it’s being forced on people who have enjoyed the app for the photography and the curation. And while everyone tries to pivot, it feels like cheap Reels and stupid videos go viral in a more TikTok feel…If I wanted to see slapstick and silly mom humor, I’d go on TikTok.” Denby’s annoyance is shared by many who feel that what was special about Instagram has been erased.
How would Spotify listeners feel if the app started pushing podcasts, to the detriment of music? Likely confused and enraged. While Instagram’s shift was predicted, it does not alleviate disappointment.
Platforms are expected to evolve. Stagnancy is not a successful business model. That is why the introduction of Instagram’s Stories feature in 2016 was so important. Stories allow users to showcase and comment on their lives in a temporary, dynamic space. But unlike Reels, Stories do not threaten the existence of photos.
Users’ confusion and anger do not stem from Instagram’s evolution but from Instagram’s authoritarian definition of entertainment. In promoting Reels, Instagram attempts to force user attention.
Reels were meant to help Instagram grow. But instead, they appear to have obliterated the app’s foundation.
[1] Business Insider “Instagram on its way to becoming a video and entertainment platform” https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/instagram-on-its-way-to-becoming-a-video-and-entertainment-platform-adam-mosseri/articleshow/84017343.cms