#142 The New Instagram Update & Why Social Platforms Don’t Really Care What You Want

Nov 17, 2020

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If you’ve noticed the changes to the Instagram home screen in the last week–specifically its focus on Reels and Shopping–you’re not alone, and if you haven’t seen them yet, you probably will soon. To put it lightly, the overall user and creator reactions to the changes have not been positive.

This week’s new solo Beyond Influential episode is not only relevant to Instagram, or this particular update, but this is the start of a much larger and necessary conversation that we should all be paying attention to. I’m sharing my candid thoughts on the way the major social media companies, which are now staples in our day-to-day lives, view and treat their users, and why we need to be having active discussions around this topic.

I often focus on the ways you can strategically use the online space to grow your brand and business, and all of the positive connections and community that social media can bring to our lives. However, it is important to be clear that as much good as platforms like Instagram have brought into our lives, there are tradeoffs and some deeper and darker issues associated with social media platforms that we need to be addressing–from how these platforms affect us on a physical and psychological level to how these businesses operate to questions around ethics, accountability and regulation.

With that in mind, on Ep. 142, I share some of my thoughts on:

What Instagram's newest update is actually about & why the focus on Reels & Shopping
Are social media platforms like Instagram “too big to fail”?
Why there’s no such thing as a “free” platform & what that means for you
Mental health, addiction, and the pitfalls of social media
Accountability, ethical business practices, & platform regulations
The power of the algorithm, why chronological order is never coming back to Instagram and more!

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