The Snapchat vs. Instagram conflict has intensified over the last two days. When Instagram introduced a brand-new feature that was nearly identical to Snapchat’s crucial “Stories” platform, the competition heated up significantly last year. With the addition of “face filters,” a user-friendly form of augmented reality made popular by Snapchat and beloved by its users, Instagram has now taken this idea a step further. Given that Snapchat users tend to be younger and more interested in quirky, fun content, this whimsical feature seems at odds with the highly edited, aesthetically driven, retro-filtered feed Instagram is known for.
This bold move by Instagram is the last one before it completely copies Snapchat’s Stories feature, which was introduced last August. Snapchat’s Stories feature, a mainstay of its user interface for years, allows users to post brief videos and images that can be collaged with text and emoji, with each post having a 24-hour lifespan. With little photo editing and no attempt to present the ideal overexposed, Amaro-filtered dream life illusion, you get the impression while reading a story that you are seeing it through the eyes of the person you are reading about.
The only similarity between the two platforms prior to the launch of Instagram’s version last summer was the use of a camera. Snapchat was the place we’d go to relax and watch real people give us a window into their lives in a relatable way, whereas Instagram was a calm, peaceful oasis of beautiful sunsets and acai bowls.
Users encountered a problem when Instagram introduced Stories because the feature was so strikingly similar to Snapchat’s that it was difficult to avoid duplicating content. How do you choose between posting a video of a hilarious flash mob you saw on your way to work and a photo of a clever pub chalkboard sign?
The two platforms continued to have their own personalities thanks to a few remaining differences. Since it doesn’t integrate with any other platforms and it was the first widely used product to make self-destructing content popular, Snapchat has a feeling of anonymity that no other social network can match. Instagram, on the other hand, is personalized, public-facing, and tightly integrated with Facebook’s systems.
Most importantly, Snapchat face filters allowed users to add a humorous or self-aware element to their first-person chatty videos by simply changing their face to that of a dog or switching faces with a housemate. On the other hand, Instagram Stories were the place for quick Boomerangs of stylish individuals cocking their heads or the exquisitely edited vacation photos that didn’t quite make the cut for the feed. Despite all the outward indications that Instagram was moving towards realism, its stories continued to feel planned and curated, in contrast to Snapchat’s raw and genuine stories.
The distinctions become more hazy than ever now that Instagram has blatantly appropriated one of Snapchat’s distinguishing features. For Snap, Inc., which lost 25% of its value following its most recent earnings report, this blurring can only mean disaster. With 200 million daily users, Instagram has already surpassed Snapchat, and with Facebook’s support, it can avoid the challenge of establishing relationships with advertisers.
It is unsustainable to produce daily content for two platforms that are nearly identical in the age of the digital detox, when we want to simplify rather than complicate our relationship with technology. With its two unique features (the grid and Stories), as well as discoverability and Facebook integration, Instagram unquestionably provides more value than the other platform. Snapchat should be ready for users to leave in small numbers.
Snapchat provided a haven away from the demands of “likes” and follower counts; you could express yourself without fear of your inebriated ramblings being seen by everyone you’ve ever added on Facebook. For many of us, Snapchat is the only platform where we can post content without being concerned about how cringe-worthy it is or how it will affect our careers.
Instagram Stories gives us the chance to present the appearance of authenticity while still editing and polishing our lives to make them as desirable as possible. We can then watch in morbid fascination as more and more people, some of whom we know only vaguely, stumble across our profiles and start to watch. Given that Snapchat rejected a $3 billion offer from Facebook in 2013, the loss of a purer, more honest digital space seems both tragic and inevitable.
Instagram appears to have the social photo-sharing market’s lowest common denominator advantage. It might not have the best filters, the coolest interface, or the most novel ideas, but it has Zuckerberg’s support and the huge user base he attracts. That weight goes a long way toward effectively eliminating the competition, as those of us who have always preferred Hipstamatic can attest.
Conclusion
Although Snapchat won’t be gone tomorrow, users will soon decide whether it’s better to concentrate on one platform because time is of the essence. All the things that initially attracted us to Snapchat will turn out to be its downfall as the digital generations once again demonstrate how addicting the thrill of gaining new followers is compared to authenticity.
ad
Comments are closed.