The most recent Instagram update has users mad as hell and now celebs like the Kardashians are weighing in.
Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner have told their followers to dump Instagram until it returns to its previous format. Having a combined following of over 600 million people, that’s a big blow to the Metaverse.
But what is it that has the Insta-babes fuming?
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For a while now Instagram has been slowly shifting its format to be more like social media powerhouse TikTok. This means the app is prioritising short form videos over its usual image content.
So, if you’re a fan of the classic static photo format, tough luck. It’s all about Reels now baby.
In its most recent update (not available to all users just yet, so don’t rush off the app store bub) video and full screen content is being pushed harder than ever and images are being deprioritised.
Unsurprisingly users of the photo app are a bit shirty about the whole thing. ‘Cause, you know, if you want to use a video app you use a dang video app.
This has prompted thousands of users to push back against the update.
Photographer Tati Bruening created a Change.org petition pleading for Meta to ‘Make Instagram Instagram again’. Kim and Kylie both shared the petition which, at time of writing, has over 200,000 signatures and is quickly growing.
Tati requested the Instagram ‘STOP TRYING TO BE TIKTOK!’ and return to a photo dominant platform.
“Lets go back to our roots with Instagram and remember that the intention behind Instagram was to share photos,” they wrote.
“We have TikTok for a reason, and let’s face it, the only reels uploaded are recycled TikToks and content that the world has already seen. What’s innovative and unique about old stale content? Nothing!”
The Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has since come out to ‘explain’ what is going on but he’s done little to address any of the community’s concerns.
“I want to be clear: we’re going to continue to support photos, it’s part of our heritage,” he said in a video (dressed like the yellow wiggle).
“That said, I need to be honest, I do believe that more and more of Instagram is going to become video overtime. We see this even if we change nothing. We see this even if you just look at chronological feed.”
His response hasn’t been taken well, espcially since he chose to post it to Twitter. One user summed up the move rather succinctly.
“Posting this to Twitter is funny to me. What? Did your non-chronological timeline make it hard for Instagram users to see your content?” @boxofhamsters wrote.*
Instagram has been bleeding followers for a while now. Digital marketing firm Later ran a study that found engagement on the app had dropped 44 per cent since 2019.
Instagram ranks as the seventh most popular app lagging behind TikTok sits at third place and YouTube at fifth.
It’s clear the app needs to innovate or die but perhaps alienating the Kardashians isn’t the way to go about it.
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