The Kardashians Call Instagram Out For Copying Tiktok
Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian and even Chrissy Teigen aren’t too happy about how Instagram is changing lately. The beloved photo sharing app is slowly shifting to a video format, as its CEO Adam Mosseri pushes reels and longer videos in order to create more engagement.
Jenner recently posted a story of a meme that reads, “Make Instagram Instagram again. Stop trying to be like Tiktok. I just want to see cute photos of my friends. Sincerely, Everyone.” She also added under the meme, “PLEASEEEEEEE.”
Jenner’s sister Kim Kardashian shared this meme, and also wrote, “PRETTY PLEASE.” If you’ve been on Instagram lately, you cannot deny how much emphasis the app is giving to video content and reels. It seems that to stay relevant on the platform, one has to create daily video content to boost engagement and get likes.
The Kardashian’s feel this defeats the purpose of what Instagram stands for – which is to see photos of people you follow. The proliferation of video content on Instagram is making it feel like another version of Tiktok, the $50 billion short-form video hosting and social media platform.
It wasn’t long before CEO Adam Mosseri noticed how the public was reacting to these changes, and made a video in response to the backlash. He addresses some concerns in his statement. “We’re going to continue to support photos. It’s part of our heritage.”
However he also states that, “There’s a lot going on with Instagram right now. We’re experimenting with a number of different changes to the app. More and more of Instagram is going to become video over time,” and that everyone is “going to have to lean into that shift while continuing to support photos.” Well, it looks like even Kylie and Kim, with their 668 million followers combined, couldn’t do much to sway his stance.
Mosseri also talked about how people are tired of the ‘recommendations’ feature, which adds posts from people you don’t follow to your feed, based on your likes. “We’re going to continue to try and get better at recommendations,” he explained, “because we think it’s one of the most effective and important ways to help creators reach more people.”
He ended the video statement by asking for feedback from consumers of the app. And people did not hold back. Celebrity chef Chrissy Teigen tweeted, “we don’t wanna make videos Adam lol.”
This sentiment isn’t just shared by celebrities. Twitter users are quick to criticize this shift in the app. “Stop making everything reels. You’re making everyone from journalists, content creators, CEOs, and celebrities agree. It’s now an app for everything you’re advertising, not of my friends and people I think are cool,” writes Stefan Etienne, a journalist and brand manager.
Many users who build their portfolios and career on Instagram have noted how their stills, or photos do not even reach the entirety of their following. To create engagement and stay relevant, content creators need to churn out one reel or one video per DAY.
Another Twitter user says, “I just checked instagram and I see more videos from people I don’t follow than photos from friends I follow.” Well, let’s hope the new Instagram keeps its promise of honoring and supporting photo content!
