The Instagram network has undergone numerous changes throughout its history. Whether after being acquired by Facebook several years ago for a billion dollars or before that. However, it is currently difficult to determine whether Instagram has changed from its original state, or if the users themselves have changed. There is no doubt that Millennials are the ones who have given Instagram all this value, but this generation is now quickly heading into middle age. So much so that posting a selfie may require time and effort they do not possess or they may feel embarrassed to do so. This has resulted in most users noticing a significant decrease in the number of posts from their friends—the posts they are genuinely interested in—compared to an increase in posts from brands, influencers, and others.
On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic conflicted with one of the primary reasons for posting photos and videos on Instagram, which is bragging and showcasing. The pandemic prevented users from being in restaurants, public places, parties, etc., which are fertile grounds for obtaining a unique photo to share on Instagram.
**The Dullness on Instagram**
Max Reed, the former editor-in-chief at Gawker, stated last year that he left Instagram in early 2020 as the app had become boring, especially during the lockdown. Overall, this is the general sentiment users began to feel; the platform has become dull. This collective feeling was clearly reflected in the time users spend on the network. For instance, in the UK, users aged 18 to 24 use the platform for just ten and a half minutes a day, according to statistics from September of last year. This duration used to be 15 minutes, specifically in 2019.
In contrast to the decline that Instagram has faced, the same percentage of users spends over half an hour daily on TikTok and more than an hour on YouTube, as highlighted in an Ofcom report reported by the Financial Times.
**The Origins of Instagram**
Instagram, founded by Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom, was not solely focused on photo sharing. Its main feature was the ability to apply enhanced filters on photos instantaneously, allowing any smartphone user to share beautifully styled images, especially since editing photos in 2010 was not as easy as it is now.
**The Platform's Dangers**
Over time, Instagram began to gain users, reaching over a billion active users by 2018. However, the platform's original goal of enabling beautiful photo sharing has become polluted and more dangerous. Because Instagram has significantly contributed to the propagation of negative emotions rather than serving as a communication platform. Moreover, the platform has increasingly relied on attracting attention rather than merely sharing photos.
As time went on, users became more obsessed with appearing beautiful. This obsession led to a significant increase in cosmetic procedures and ultimately resulted in the emergence of the concept of "Instagram Face."
In 2018, after the core idea had been compromised, Instagram's founders left the company entirely, and Facebook began to add more "features" aimed primarily at profit, such as shopping links, additional video capabilities, and more features that often focus on monetization.
The platform continued to emit a negative feeling for users, who felt other users were living better lives and having a better time. The situation remained unchanged: numerous influencers, people appearing beautifully, fewer posts from friends and those we genuinely care about, alongside an abundance of advertisements and sales attempts.
