Many famous Instagram users have urged their followers to turn on post notifications in preparation for the new update. Jack Brennan/The Fordham Ram
By Elizabeth Smislova
Instagram is undergoing big changes, and for a generation that experiences mini heart attacks when a smartphone is not within arms reach, the response has not been positive. For many businesses, social media is not just a place to make sure people see that great outfit or cute puppy — it is also an important advertising platform. The new format does not have a release date yet, but certain groups are currently testing it.
The main change is the implementation of a new algorithm, which will operate similarly to that of Facebook (Instagram’s owner) and Twitter. Instagram will organize its users’ feeds based on importance, not on a post’s chronology. According to The New York Times, newsgroups and nonprofit organizations are irritated by their lack of appearance on social media feeds. Followers can turn on notifications for certain users, but some are worried that new alerts about posts will be overwhelming.
According to Kevin Systrom, co-founder and chief executive of Instagram, 70 percent of posts on Instagram go unseen. The redesign is meant to highlight the 30 percent of posts people most want to view.
Many celebrities are out against the new algorithm, including the Jenner sisters, who are in the top-10 group of celebrities with the most followers.
Kendall Jenner posted on Instagram: “I don’t really understand it and there has to be another motive because you follow people for a reason. I’m trying to see everyone’s pics.” Kylie Jenner tweeted: “This whole Instagram update is just so down the line you’ll have to pay Instagram to be at the top of the feed.”
Another new feature is increased video length, allowing for 60 seconds instead of 15. Forbes magazine noted that the new duration optimizes the amount of users who will actually watch entire videos — after the “golden time” of a minute, viewers tend to fade. Similar to Vine and Snapchat, Instagram is also allowing users to create videos using multiple clips. These video adjustments are efforts to help businesses spread their messages and keep people on their feeds longer.
Brenna Gordon, FCRH ‘18, stopped using Twitter because she did not like the algorithm and is unhappy with the change. “Instagram is supposed to show pictures at the instant they’re posted — that’s the whole point,” she said. However, Gordon approves of the longer video version. “I follow a lot of celebrities and it would be interesting to see more into their lives on Instagram.”
Anthony Piccinich, GSB ‘17, said, “I didn’t think that Instagram needed to change. Sometimes I think that these Silicon Valley companies try to meddle with things that don’t need to be modified. That being said, I’m sure it won’t take long for me to get used to the new Instagram.”
