Changes in social media apps come and go, and most of the time, we’re left with no choice but to ride with its waves (e.g. bear with bad font choices). But Instagram’s next tweak will pull out something from the past.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced during a US Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday that a chronological feed version has been in the works “for months,” according to Complex. Targeted to be available in 2022’s first quarter, this chronological feed was the app’s OG layout before it was replaced in 2016, making way for the AI-generated feed that has us conscious with all things algorithm. Although this “personalized” treatment was highly criticized, Instagram had been persistent in defending it.
This change serves as good news to everyone who misses seeing recent updates from their friends, versus waking up to the same 30 people on top of their feed each day. But if you’re alright with IG at the moment, you can still opt to stay in the algorithmically weaved feed, as these will both be options. “We want to be clear that we’re creating new options—providing people with more choices so they can decide what works best for them—not switching everyone back to a chronological feed,” Instagram’s PR team tweeted.
In the hearing, Mosseri was also interrogated about the app’s “toxicity” to teenagers, plus its child safety issues, according to The Verge. In response, he proposed an “industry body” that would help in protecting children’s data and infuse parental controls online.
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Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash