[davee5]

Instagram has slowly been deprioritizing content creation and promoting content consumption. This was clearest to me when they recently moved the Post button up to the top, out of the way, to make room for more consumption buttons within thumb reach.

For a good long time IG was the only place I could reliably see actual user-generated content. Moreover it was actual friend-generated content, and mostly they posted their actual (best, happy) lives.

With culling of the slideshow preachers, the media re-grammers, and the vacuous influencers, an honest social media experience can still be enjoyed-ish. But ads and re-designs will continue to chip away at the creative sharing and interactions that used to be the core UX until it's fully unusable for its original purpose.

Instagram now wants you to watch and scroll, not capture and share. Soon I'll need to take my creative sharing elsewhere, but where?

[spacelamb]

As a counter-point, IG recently made it much easier to upload content directly from a desktop operating system. It finally added a button for users upload posts from a web browser from a desktop OS (before, you had to switch the browser's user agent to identify as a mobile device, then refresh).

But separately, if professional brands really do take over IG over user-generated content between friends, the runner-up is Pinterest. A February 2021 study of social media usage shows that Instagram usage among US adults is 40% [0], with Pinterest at 31% usage. Beyond Pinterest, the runner-ups for (high-quality, artistic) creative content are platforms like Adobe's Behance or Dribbble, but the users for these are primarily creative professionals.

For user-generated content between friends (day-to-day stuff), Snapchat isn't a bad replacement (25% usage, according to the same survey). I would guess that most content remains user-generated (via photos that delete themselves sent to other friends). I would also guess it's less less harmful to mental health for certain groups, as it doesn't feature Likes or Comments.

To be totally honest, though, I wouldn't regret the loss of user-generated social media content. Exchanging messages, having video calls, and seeing people in-person feels a lot more enjoyable and helpful for strengthening relationships.

[0] https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media...

[Apocryphon]

VSCO also doesn't have likes, wonder how that network's been faring.

[spacelamb]

On Instagram, I've seen VSCO links as the "link in bio" (the url in the user's profile) for a few acquaintances I follow. Baader-Meinhoff phenomenon [0] at play; I believed I never heard of VSCO before, but just saw a link in bio, and remembered a couple other appearances.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion

[astrange]

If you were younger, you would've heard of VSCO users because they want to save the turtles (sksksksk).

That or you'd remember it as the other photo filter app in 2011.

[vanilla_nut]

I got rid of my account and started a blog instead. Much more fun to learn about Jekyll, CSS, and improve my long form writing skills anyway. There's federated blog networks like Micro.blog out there, but personally I've just backpedaled to good old RSS myself. If a blog provides it, it's a strong sign they're producing content from a passionate place, rather than trying to collect email addresses and followers for monetization.

Chronological, completely distributed... it feels a bit like rediscovering ancient technology in some science fiction or fantasy universe. "An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age."

[vineyardmike]

TikTok probably. Everyone is saying they're really prioritizing creation tools in-app.

Once upon a time, youtube did the same until it got enough (semi professional) content creators.

[tacocataco]

Check out Imgur's usersub. Lots of crap, but isn't art just screwing around with crap?

I only use it on my PC though. I really don't like the app, and imgur has purposely ruined the mobile web version to push me there.

I sort of recall the moment where imgur straight up disabled functionality of the mobile web site. I think it was that you can't post content via the mobile website anymore.

That was when I just stopped using it on my phone and exclusively use it on the PC. Yeah I could switch to desktop mode on my phone to keep posting, but it wasn't worth the hassle. Much less use by the way.

[kylehotchkiss]

Glass.photo is trying to fill a gap for actual photographers (not really a social network for selfies). Paid, but ad free. They’re close to sustainably profitable too.

[stereoradonc]

Take it to Telegram channel.

No algorithmic mess.