Instagram appears to be investing more in Reels and tweaking the platform to support more video creators. This is understandable given the company’s desire to compete with the rapidly developing TikTok platform. Instagram’s new move generated a lot of talk, and many people believe it is losing its uniqueness.
This debate has erupted on the internet, prompting the creation of an online petition on Change.org titled “Make Instagram again (Stop trying to be TikTok, I just want to see cute photos of my friends). Sincerely, everyone.” More than 1.5 lakh people have signed the petition showing their regret against Instagram’s move.
To address this ongoing controversy, Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, has put a video on his Twitter profile. He states that, “I need to be honest. I do believe that more and more of Instagram is going to become video over time.” The move away from photos, according to Mosseri, is motivated by user behaviours.
👋🏼 There’s a lot happening on Instagram right now.
I wanted to address a few things we’re working on to make Instagram a better experience.
Please let me know what you think 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/x1If5qrCyS
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) July 26, 2022
He also clarified that Instagram will continue to support photos as well, quoting “We are going to continue supporting photos—it’s a part of our heritage.” Videos are being shared and watched more frequently, so “we’re going to have to lean into that trend.”
Adam further claims that the company is focused on making appropriate recommendations for each user and that it is an important tool for tiny creators to reach a broader audience. If the recommendations seem ridiculous, we can snooze all recommendations for up to a month.