Meta has added a lot of new features to Instagram, such as a built-in reposting tool, a map for sharing locations, and a new “Friends” area. The updates that are now available to users are meant to get people involved and connected by letting them share public reels and posts, see where their friends are, and find new content. But there is already a lot of anger on social media about the changes. Many users are saying that Instagram is just “copying” other sites, especially TikTok and Snapchat.
The feature for reposting
With the new repost option, users may easily share public reels and feed posts from other accounts with their own followers. With the new way to share to an Instagram Story, reposted content now shows up in a separate “Reposts” tab on a user’s profile and can be suggested to their followers’ feeds. This is a better technique to show off material that a user likes for a longer time. The people who made Instagram think this will aid producers because it will help their material reach new people who don’t already follow them. To share a post again, a user just presses the repost button on a public reel or post, adds a remark if they want to, and saves the post.
The Map on Instagram
Instagram has added a new interactive map that looks like Snapchat’s popular Snap Map. With this feature, users can share their “last active location” with a few friends. These friends can then view what the person is doing and what they have posted depending on that location. Some users are worried about their privacy when they share their location, even if it’s optional and gives them a new avenue to explore and connect with others. The map also shows material from friends and artists based on where they are, giving you a fresh way to find new things.
Why the Backlash?
People on platforms like X (previously Twitter) are already upset about the new features because they don’t seem creative. One person said, “First it was Stories (Snapchat), then Reels (TikTok), and now it’s reposts (Twitter). Instagram’s whole personality is copied from other sites. Someone else said, “Instagram wants to be TikTok so bad you can now repost reels.” This feeling is a long-standing critique of Meta’s plan to copy popular features from other platforms. Some people say that Instagram isn’t coming up with new ideas; it’s just trying to copy the success of other applications, which makes the user experience less real and more cluttered.
People have compared the reposting functionality to TikTok and X (Twitter), both of which have had similar ways to share information for a long time. Instagram’s “Reposts” tab on a user’s profile is a big variation from TikTok, although the basic principle is the same. Many people see the new features, along with the redesigned “Friends” tab in Reels, which shows content that friends have interacted with, as a clear attempt to change the platform’s focus from its original purpose as a curated photo-sharing app centered on friends to entertainment and algorithmic recommendations.