How Will Instagram's New Algorithms Affect Your Feed?
Instagram, the only internationally acceptable proof you did and/or ate something, announced today that it'll be scrapping your current chronological layout for an algorithm-based system that lines up your photos based on what you're most likely to be interested in. Taking into account photo timelines, your relationship with the person who posted and the subject matter, the photo-sharing mega-platform will still show you all the photos from those you follow, but in an optimized order. Well, potentially optimized. Some have requested that the new layout be a customizable option instead of the status quo, but as of yet, it looks like what Instagram says goes — though the company promises to take your feedback into account.
What does this mean for all you professional capturers of that perfect cheese-stretching moment, documenters of dolphin nose kisses and disseminators of dogs with things balanced on their heads? As devout Instagrammers ourselves, we'll assume it means when your favorite Tokyo-based chef (the one whose photos you always like and spam with five heart-eye emojis) creates the most artistic bowl of noodles you've ever seen, you won't have to scroll back 13 hours through your friends' cats, George Takei's social media guy's "daily d'awwws" and selfies of people you don't know to find and like it.
Change is good, people! Embrace the path through the rabble and use the seconds saved to share a snapshot of a sandwich cross-section. It's one of our time-tested standbys.