Instagram’s new feature, designed to increase engagement and rival TikTok, displays the Reels liked by a user’s friends, visible as small profile picture bubbles with a heart overlay on the bottom left corner of the video. This feature, found within the Reels tab and Explore page, is limited to mutual followers, excluding likes from public figures or random accounts. Instagram’s CEO, Adam Mosseri, explained that the goal is to foster connection through shared creative content, allowing users to discover Reels liked by their friends and initiate conversations based on shared interests. This feature encourages interaction and discussion around Reels, aiming to solidify Instagram’s position as a leading platform for short-form video content.
This update comes amidst Instagram’s aggressive push to compete with TikTok, especially following the latter’s temporary ban from US app stores. Instagram has implemented various strategies, including paying influencers to prioritize Reels over TikTok content and launching a new video editing app called Edits, mirroring TikTok’s CapCut app. These efforts aim to attract and retain users migrating from TikTok, solidifying Instagram’s prominence in the short-form video landscape. The company is actively investing in features and tools that enhance the user experience and promote content creation within the Reels format.
However, this new feature has faced considerable backlash, being labeled the “worst feature update ever” by some users. The primary concern is the public exposure of liked Reels to friends, creating potential embarrassment, particularly for those who engage with content considered “thirsty” or otherwise revealing of personal preferences. This concern stems from a desire for privacy and control over the perception of their online activity among their social circle. Users fear judgment and unwanted conversations arising from their liked Reels being visible to friends.
To address user anxiety, Instagram provides a way to review liked Reels. Users can navigate to their profile, access the menu icon in the top right corner, select “Your Activity,” then “Likes,” and finally filter by “Reels.” This allows users to audit their liked content and potentially unlike anything deemed potentially embarrassing before it is discovered by friends. This functionality provides a degree of control and allows users to curate the image they project to their followers.
The negative reaction to this feature harks back to Instagram’s now-defunct Activity feed, which displayed followers’ activities, including likes and follows. This older feature faced similar criticism for its perceived invasiveness and potential for social awkwardness. The new Reels feature is seen by some as a regression to this unpopular format, reintroducing the same privacy concerns and potential for unwanted scrutiny. Some users have even resorted to deactivating their accounts or creating “burner” accounts to circumvent the new feature, highlighting the intensity of their disapproval.
The backlash against this feature illuminates the tension between platform efforts to drive engagement and user desires for privacy and control over their online persona. While Instagram aims to create a more interactive and connected experience, users are wary of the potential social consequences of increased visibility into their activity. This highlights the challenge social media platforms face in balancing the drive for engagement with respecting user privacy and preferences. The future of this feature and its impact on user behavior remains to be seen.
