Instagram Is Still Trying To Live In The Universe Of TikTok

Social media is just about everywhere we turn. Even if you don’t have every app installed on your phone and spend hours every day scrolling, we can quickly head online on our laptop computer so long as we have the internet. The best bit? There are so many social media sites out there to fulfill just about every one of our endless scrolling needs. However, one has taken over the world in the last few years.

That’s right; we’re talking about TikTok. What started as a simple site that allowed users to stitch videos next to other people’s content has quickly turned into a place for people to get entertainment, information, and advice. TikTok is bigger than almost anything else right now, so perhaps it’s no surprise so many other sites want to recreate its magic? Now, Instagram is still trying to live in the universe of TikTok - but it might not be going so well.

Instagram recently tried to replicate every visual aspect of TikTok

One of the many reasons that people use different social media sites is because they want different things from each site. So why did Instagram try to replicate TikTok in 2022? That’s what plenty of people wondered as they noticed the changes. For one, Instagram has introduced Reels, a way to add short videos to your profile - just like TikTok. They also add quick, looping videos and posts that fill the entire screen instead of sticking to smaller photos and videos like they have done for so long. 

The app is currently trying to take photos fullscreen

People have long noticed that the only way to get a photo to fill the screen on Instagram is to upload a snap through the Stories feature. However, a regular post automatically sees a picture shrunk to an 8:10 ratio. It’s something that’s long bothered users, especially as larger phone screens are now more common than ever before. While Instagram has confirmed it’s working on enlarging photos, others have questioned why the change had to come as part of such a large update to the site.

Several people have criticized TikTok-like features on Instagram

Rather than branching out on its own, many have argued that Instagram has done nothing but try to copy TikTok in recent months. Instagram has long been about photos over videos. However, new features mean that videos and Reels are now more common than anything else. The site has also come under fire for using an algorithm to promote “recommended content” instead of posts from our family and friends. It wasn’t long before users started campaigning to “Make Instagram Instagram Again.” 

Influencers have been vocal about their disappointment

Let’s face it; not all of us like change. While it’s something many of us eventually learn to embrace, plenty have still been left with a bad taste in their mouths since Instagram’s major update and lane change. Tati Briening is one of the many, alongside a host of celebrities - including Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner - who have been open about their disappointment. Tati took things one step further with a petition to eliminate Reels, switch back to a timeline filled with posts from people you follow, and a chronological timeline. She added it “feels wrong” that creators should suddenly change everything about their content “to serve a new algorithm.” 

Will Instagram win the battle against TikTok?

The reason TikTok did so well is a question that’s been on many people’s minds. It shot to popularity during the last two years when plenty of people were locked away from one another. Plus, it was unlike plenty of other social media sites we have seen in the past. Does that mean other social media sites should copy its format to recreate the success? Probably not. In fact, plenty have called out Instagram for abandoning its roots to follow in TikTok’s shadow. Now, many warn that if Instagram isn’t careful, it could use the following it’s built over the years - and become yet another controversy to add to the growing Meta troubles from recent months.

Instagram has been around since 2010 and has come a long way with the changing times. However, it seems most users aren’t ready to see the major changes the site has in store, especially when they argue Instagram is merely trying to bandwagon off the success of TikTok.