Big Changes are Coming to Instagram

Just as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. To me, it looks like Instagram’s end may be nigh. Last week the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, shared some of the changes in store for the popular social media program. What was once a simple photo-sharing app has grown exponentially over the last decade, implementing features such as videos, stories, and even shopping. You can’t really blame them for trying to keep up with the competition, but this insatiable need for more bells and whistles is bound to be met with some criticism.

Essentially, what the app plans to do is lean further away from its roots, and instead embrace more video and shopping-related content. In turn, this will reduce the visibility of photo-related content and will likely drive many artists, photographers, and other creators off of the app. I mean have you seen Instagram reels? It’s basically a hodgepodge of videos taken from TikTok and reposted to the ‘gram to keep its viewers scrolling until their eyes melt out of their skulls. First, Instagram rips off Snapchat with the stories. Then came the shopping tab, which I’m pretty sure I’ve never even opened. Now I’m the victim to unsolicited dancing middle-schoolers and waaaay too many Russian construction videos. The weird thing is, this whole amalgam of new features seems vaguely familiar. Who is it that owns Instagram again?

That’s right – Facebook. Remember? It’s the app that used to be the biggest social hub of the 8th grade, and then slowly became something you used for party addresses and wishing your grandma a happy birthday. The thing is, Zuckerberg wanted his little baby to do it all, and now I can’t even go on Facebook without getting bogged down by countless clubs, free and for sale groups, and divided families spitting politically charged insults at one another. Only time will tell how bad Instagram is gonna get, but I have a feeling history is going to repeat itself here. Feel free to voice your opinions in the comments, but not too loud – Zuck is listening.