Toni Dimaano Tech 01.25.2023 05:Jan AM EST

Instagram Pushes 'Too Many Videos' To Users, CEO Admits

Instagram is attempting to strike a better balance for users who still like viewing photos on the network after launching Reels in full force in 2022.

Even Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri now thinks that the platform last year placed too much focus on videos and Reels, which hurt traditional photo posts, The Verge writes.

Mosseri Says Instagram Will Improve Its Content Management For Users

The platform's CEO stated that some photographers are dissatisfied with how Instagram has been focused on video in a Story he shared on his own Instagram profile.

He recognized that the social network overemphasized video in 2022, and essentially showed too many videos and not enough photos in one of the responses from his weekly Q&A with users.

In one instance he cited, Instagram will take into account a user's preference for videos over images when deciding which material will show up first in their feeds.

However, according to Mosseri, Instagram has since been working behind the scenes to reestablish a more equitable balance, and internal analytics indicate that it is succeeding.

"Things like how often someone likes photos versus videos and how often someone comments on photos versus videos are roughly equal, which is a good sign that things are balanced," he says.

The official at the Meta-owned business also noted that while videos have been increasing overall engagement, Instagram will not get rid of images from its app.

Instead, the social media platform says that it will continue to invest on videos, but photos will remain an important part of what it does, 9to5 Mac details.

Moreover, Mosseri discussed the rise in recent months in the amount of spam and bot accounts on Instagram in another story.

"We definitely have spam and bots on Instagram. We're doing our best to reduce it. I'm particularly worried about comments right now," he adds.

Earlier this week, Instagram introduced new features earlier this week, such as Quiet Mode and the capacity to mark multiple posts on the Explore page that you're not interested in.

Instagram's Introduction Of Reels Weakened Its Own Platform

There have been instances when it seems like Instagram has lost its direction and has grown overly reliant on the newest fashions rather than carving out or preserving its own niche.

Users posted their memories and compositions online as a kind of interactive photo album, which helped Instagram gain popularity, according to Social Media Today.

Instagram's emergence corresponded with the advancement of phone cameras, and as users became increasingly enthusiastic about taking pictures with their gadgets

The social network gave people a way to share their creations, and over time, filters and basic editing tools were added to improve those works and place more of an emphasis on shared experiences and memories.

However, that changed after Stories debuted as Instagram was the perfect tool for Meta to slow the rise of Snapchat because of its popularity among younger users and visual focus.

Since then, however, Instagram seems to be going through an identity crisis, and given the numerous algorithmic changes, the app's initial purpose has mostly been eclipsed by Meta's more extensive commercial drive.

Instagram has more users, but it's also become less unique in its value proposition, more cluttered, and less focused, according to Social Media Today.