With over 1 billion active users, Instagram, the most popular social media network worldwide, has to constantly update their servers in order to keep up with the newest trends. However, not all updates exhibit a good system for users, especially the most recent one, which has sparked controversy.

Instagram’s latest update has attracted a lot of attention from many social media platforms. This update revolves around an Instagram marketplace, which has drawn criticism from Instagram users. 

The use of the marketplace feature makes the app more difficult to navigate and creates a lot of confusion. In addition to such difficulties, it is seen as a capitalist move from Instagram, denying what is best for their users for the sake of profit. 

The main intent Instagram has for their users is to be a photo and video sharing community, to interconnect different people and cultures globally with a simple post. It seems to be quite the opposite in regards to this recent update. Instagram shifted their central focus to their economic gains, moving away from the network’s original intentions. 

The Instagram marketplace is essentially a shopping center for users to easily buy from companies Instagram supports, without even having to leave the app. This might seem more efficient for purchasing items and shopping, however, it is steering away from Instagrams whole purpose, which is sharing and interconnecting people worldwide. 

Instagram’s mission statement is “to capture and share the world’s moments” which is no longer the case. Instagram is implementing a different agenda, selfishly yearning for another dollar, rather than focusing on bettering the focal point of the app, photo sharing. 

The app is slowly losing its sole purpose, and before we know it, it will turn it into another shopping app for the company’s economic gains. 

Instagram should have updated qualities that make the app so original in the first place, such as photo quality, easier ways to connect with friends, story quality, and more. It is disappointing to see Instagram beginning to make this shift from friends and family orientated to more of a business standpoint. 

The app does have its pros, such as the appealing visuals, photo sharing, quick connection with friends all around the world, and photo editing. However, these cons outweigh the pros by a landslide. Instagram’s next update needs to incorporate and better the qualities that make the app more appealing and unique, not business related, before it is too late.