It’s no secret to anyone that I spend most of my time on Instagram. Essentially, it’s an extension of Yow Yow! and this blog, but it’s the best way to keep in touch with my friends both near and far away. The platform has changed a lot in the last few years and while I don’t always agree with every decision in the moment, I understand the rationale behind it. Plus, Instagram gains millions of users every day so I could see why they want to make changes and accommodate new users. Although, even with so many new accounts, not everyone sees their follower count increase. Thankfully, Platypus reviewed Ingramer which is a bot that increases a follower count, ideal for those who want to increase their following. This week, was a big week for Instagram news, but they were little pieces so you might have missed it! We’ll providing a recap here:
Instagram Bans Vaping Ads [Hypebeast]
Influences and companies alike have been benefiting from Instagram as a platform. Earlier this week, I think a spokesperson from the team announced they wanted to make it easier for influencers to truly create a living for themselves through their own partnerships. One partnership that they’ll be cracking down on though is vaping. Given all of the recent news around JUUL, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Nonetheless, one can look for and buy cheap vapes, and more, from various online dispensaries, and even local stores. There is no ban on buying and using these products, as of now, at least.
“Branded content that promotes goods such as vaping, tobacco products and weapons will not be allowed,” stated Instagram’s announcement. “Our advertising policies have long prohibited the advertisement of these products, and we will begin enforcement on this in the coming weeks.”
One thing that I didn’t notice until now is that JUUL actually removed their Instagram account back in November of 2018.
Instagram Will Start Using Artificial Intelligence To Combat Bullying [Refinery29]
While I enjoy Instagram, I am aware that the rise in cyber bullying has increased significantly in the last few years because of these apps. Cyber bullying is something that often goes unpunished and the anonymous nature of the internet makes many people believe that they can get away with abusive behavior. However, there are companies that offer Forensic Investigators who can help victims of cyber bullies build up evidence against them and prosecute them. That being said, many people blame social media platforms for the rise in bullying and believe they should do more to prevent it. In an effort to try and combat the cyber bullying, Instagram is giving what I call users a “second chance.” Powered by artificial intelligence, Instagram detects when a comment you’ve written may be harmful or offensive and gives you three options. You can delete the comment, re-word it, or leave it as is. However, just that warning, alone could cause someone to think twice and that’s the important part of this tool.
Use Multiple Photos In Your Stories With New “Layout” Feature [Hypebae]
I was literally scanning the app store just last week trying to see if there was an app that could do this! And all I can say is thank goodness that the developers have considered using app advertising to help promote their app because I was able to find the best one at the drop of a hat. It really did make my life so much easier. I just felt so relieved that Instagram were able to grant my wishes. Now with the menu tool under “Stories” you can layout your photos. This will be most commonly used for any series of shots you may be taking all at once or maybe “before” and “after” photos. For Layout, you can have it as a two-box template, three-box template, four-box template and six-box template. The feature, however, does not yet support videos.