has come a long way since its launch in 2010 as a photo-sharing app. The social
media platform, now owned by Facebook, has become a major marketplace for
influencers and brands. However, Kevin Systrom, the co-founder of Instagram,
recently expressed his concerns over the commercialization of the platform,
saying that it has lost its original soul.
During a
podcast interview with tech reporter Kara Swisher, Systrom said that he used to
go on Instagram to see what his friends and family were up to, but now the
the platform has become a business apparatus. He added that his biggest regret at
Instagram is how commercial it has become, with the focus on “more
commercial, more creators, more deals, more ad dollars.”
Systrom
explained that Instagram’s incentives have led to a focus on people living
“apparently amazing lives with no bounds, doing the fanciest things,
looking the best, wearing the fanciest clothes.” He said this has created
a “terrifying” dynamic, where users believe that the curated facades
they see on the app are people’s real lives. He added that “whatever
people post on Instagram is the tip of the iceberg” and that it’s a race
to be the most perfect.
Systrom has
seen this transformation play out on his feed, where he has friends who
used to upload pictures of their daily lives but now just post “#ads
Systrom
called out an alternative app called BeReal, which he said allows people to be
themselves and catch themselves in real moments. He encouraged people to use it
and called on Instagram to do more to foster a sense of authenticity.
Systrom’s
criticism of Instagram comes almost five years after he left the company in
2018 in response to growing tensions with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Systrom
sold Instagram to Facebook in 2012 for $1 billion and is now one of the
co-founders of Artifact, an AI-powered news app that launched at the beginning
of the year.
In conclusion,
Systrom’s comments highlight the concerns of many users who feel that Instagram
has become too commercialized and focused on perfection. The rise of
influencers and brands have changed the platform’s dynamics and Systrom’s call
for authenticity may resonate with those who miss the original soul of
Instagram.
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