When I opened my newly updated Instagram app on my phone tonight, my attention was quickly drawn to the top of the screen, where there were icons of the people I follow, outlined by a thin red circle. The app then proceeded to tell me about its newest feature, Stories. Apparently, this is where people can post things they do every day, things like pictures or videos, and they only stay on your “Story” for 24 hours. You can draw on pictures and “make them yours”. Seem familiar?
I have to admit, this feature would be interesting if there wasn’t already a social network out there that operates the same exact way; Snapchat. The only difference between these two social networks is the release dates: Instagram was released first, Snapchat was released a year after it. For the longest time, you couldn’t even post videos to Instagram, but from the beginning, Snapchat has always supported videos and has even integrated facial filters over the years that keep the users interested in coming back. Instagram, however, has only released an update to allow users to post videos, (which were only 15 seconds at first) post longer videos, direct messaging, and last but not least, this complete rip-off of Snapchat.
The fact of the matter is that Instagram is constantly changing to either look better or integrate new features, and Snapchat is not.
When Snapchat updates, it looks the exact same as before; there might be new features, such as different filters, but there is never a completely different look. Which is important in getting more people to join, because you don’t have to worry about the app changing every time you update it. You don’t have to learn how to do something new with every update.
Whereas Instagram is the complete opposite. With every update, there is something new. And it’s pushing people away from the social network. If Instagram would pick a certain theme, style, or feel that they’re going for and stick to it, it wouldn’t have this problem. I personally know of too many people who have stopped using Instagram simply because they hate having to update it and come back to a completely different app. Consistency is key, and that’s something that Instagram clearly does not know.
Snapchat put the claim on posting pictures and videos to things called Stories first. And then Instagram wanted to join in on the fun. The only problem is that everyone already figured out that Snapchat is better than Instagram, and that’s why they have more users. It’s kind of too late in the game to be stealing features from another network without people noticing. Instagram stories look only slightly different than Snapchat stories, and everyone has caught on.
Will Snapchat be mad that Instagram stole their trademark feature? How will this impact the internet? All we can do is sit back, watch, and hope Instagram starts to figure it out. But at this point, who knows when that will be?
