What happened to Instagram?
(What is going on with Instagram)
If you used to use Instagram before 2019, you're probably asking yourself: What the hell happened to it?
Going straight to the point: It is no longer a content platform, it has become a strip-tease/pole dance stage.
Sorry, but that is true.
Instagram used to be an excellent place where you could post your content and get some visualization about your work.
The coolest thing is that you didn't need to be a professional in your area; you could be an amateur photographer or any other type of content producer, then, get your job done, visualized and, most importantly, get some recognition.
It was fun.
Let's take my case for example:
Back in 2016, I got a new account to share photos of my trips.
Those pictures were quite distinctive once I tried to capture them in a way trying to take the viewer with me on that trip. The idea was to produce that feeling and sensation that you get when you're discovering a new place.
Indeed, It had some success.
It started with 0 followers (No friends, no relatives), and
I used to get 200-400 likes by post, commentaries, and real engagement.
So, up to that point, Instagram was only about content.
If I could wrap their policy in a single phrase, it would be:
"You produce, we deliver"
(So if it is good enough, people will engage with you).
Years went by, and I continued to produce content. I did my best to keep traveling, and producing, and that worked until the end of 2019.
However, now I get no more than 15 likes per photo.
(Fifteen if it is really good; Otherwise, around 9 likes)
So, what happened?
People changed? Have I lost my touch?
Well, not really.
What happened is that Instagram's delivery policy has changed a lot.
At the end of 2019, Instagram deliberated started policies to make people spend more time on the platform rather than sharing your content.
So the goal was no longer to share the content of the creators but to make the users spend as much time as possible there.
So, from that point, The Reel Era has begun.
A reel is a short video that, once finished, goes to the next one, then to the next one, and then to the next one... (A hypnotic reel, let's say).
But in order to make his reel work, all the bullets inside the cylinder must be entertaining. (Otherwise, people wouldn't get "trapped" and would easily leave).
But by "entertaining" you can read: Video with hot/attractive people or funny (But preferably with hot people).
And after TikTok, it has become 10x worse.
(I am not sure how many times worse, but it has certainly aggravated the thing).
So, why did they do that?
Well, to be honest: Money and greed.
(Simple like that)
Recently, one digital influencer joked about it in a podcast while talking about social media:
"...And what about Instagram now? It turned crazy, right? Every week is different: This week you must upload 4 stories per day, 1 reel and 1 picture, this week you must upload 2 reels, 3 stories....".
A lot of people stop getting new followers just because they can only they are not aware of them, and also they change that fast).
Besides, the content level is getting so south that even those people in technical fields such as Computer programming and languages are "downgrading" their content level.
As a software developer, I almost got killed when I saw these posts about "working with arrays in Java". Really? Such a "complex" subject in a simple Instagram post? How people are desperate to get followers.
You know, I can totally understand someone sharing a course, a tutorial, or a video but "complicated" topics in a simple Instagram post? How substantial enough are they to talk about these topics?
And what about languages? Another day I saw a guy "teaching" french wearing nothing more than underwear. Despite this example, in general, I can see daily a decrease in the quality of their content.
So, Instagram is no longer that tool you could rely on to make your content visible, hoping people would notice it.
Instead, it has become a stage for those willing to sell their souls to get some success and fame. (I have nothing against having success on social media but try at least to share something with some worthy personal value).
However, it is an opportunity for those who have something worthy of sharing to develop their interest more professionally and boost it indeed.
Besides, who knows if someone will come up with a platform to do exactly what they used to do?
Certainly, it would be a success.
Kyle.