The Student News Site of Lake Forest High School

The Forest Scout

The Student News Site of Lake Forest High School

The Forest Scout

The Student News Site of Lake Forest High School

The Forest Scout

Polls

What's your ideal spring break spot?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Brace Yourself: More Changes are Coming to the ‘Gram

Brace+Yourself%3A+More+Changes+are+Coming+to+the+Gram

Since being bought out by Facebook in 2012, Instagram has been in a constant state of change and the evolution has made the platform the source of a lot of negative attention. Criticism has dogged company moves, ranging from altering the order in which you view your photos to supposedly copying Snapchat stories.

It would appear that the company’s days of making controversial changes to their beloved app are not over. Recently, users have reported some new features in the app that Instagram has confirmed are beta tests for new updates. Two major changes are on the horizon. First, since the launch of video on IG in 2013, the platform has become an enticing way for content creators to quickly and easily post everything from a snippet of a concert to a full length video. Now the company has plans to modify its video component by making all audio in videos autoplay. This means audio on all video posts will play automatically when you scroll through them on your feed. This is a controversial move that benefits businesses and advertisers eager for greater opportunities to get their messages across to IG users.

Brace Yourself:The second modification coming down the pike relates to users profiles. Instagram plans to alter all profiles by expanding the interface from the conventional 3×3 grid to a new 4×4 grid. This change is sure to complicate the lives of photographers and content creators who have strategically used the 3×3 grid to maximize their contents’ effect and creative appeal.

These changes have left most users asking one question: why? As for the auto playing of audio, it’s purely another way for IG to make money and appeal to businesses and advertisers. As for the change to the profile, some experts suggest that Instagram’s decision to make profile grids bigger is rooted in the growing size of cellphone screens. Apple’s new Iphone X has a 5.8 inch screen and Samsung’s Galaxy S8 also has a screen that is 5.8 inches. These phones are massive in comparison to the phones that the platform was originally intended for. When the app was released, it was designed for the Iphone 4. A device that toted a mere 3.5 inch screen.

For now, all users can do is what they’ve always done — accept it and move on. While it might be a painful transition, rather than bemoaning this change, we should probably be more focused on what they’ll do next.

Leave a Comment
Donate to The Forest Scout
$240
$500
Contributed
Our Goal

Your donation will support the student journalists of Lake Forest High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
About the Contributor
William Steck, Author
William Steck is a Senior at LFHS and an avid NHL enthusiast. Among other things, he enjoys leading the LFHS Band’s percussion section, creating multi-media promotional content for the LFHS boys varsity football, basketball, and soccer teams, and coordinating tech for the annual Ted-X conference.
Donate to The Forest Scout
$240
$500
Contributed
Our Goal

Comments (0)

All The Forest Scout Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *