Do you remember when social media apps used to do one or two things really well? Those days are over and too much diversification has resulted in many becoming bloated. Most apps are too overwhelming now; here are some examples.
1 Instagram Notes
Instagram has steadily added new features since the mid-2010s, and even if I don’t like all of them, I can see the logic. For example, while I rarely use Reels myself, I can see how they work on the platform (and I also create Instagram Reels using Canva). However, I have never clicked on an Instagram Note (and probably never will).
Instagram Notes are basically the equivalent of going into your DMs and seeing a Status update. These include music and videos alongside text, and I’d argue that we now have too many avenues to interact with followers. Besides Notes, you can use Reels, carousels, single posts, Stories, and Broadcast Channels; all of this is far too overwhelming for most users.
2 Facebook Reels
While I can see why you would have Reels on Instagram, Facebook Reels seem like a total waste of time to me. Though I deleted my Facebook account a while ago, I never consumed video content on the platform. I was interested in (some) people’s statuses, and I would also interact with photos—along with using Facebook Messenger.
Facebook Reels seem like a worse version of Instagram Reels to me. I’d argue that the app already had too many notifications even without them, which is one of the worst features on Facebook, along with bloat like ads, Stories, and group/page posts. Removing some of these and streamlining the app would contribute to a more positive user experience, and I also believe that the time you spend on Facebook would be better-quality.
3 X’s Quest to Become an Everything App
X has added a huge number of features in the past few years, and while some are limited to Premium users, I’d still argue that the in-app experience has become overwhelming for those with free accounts.
Jobs is one such example. I can understand the logic; X is a place for journalists and tech professionals to congregate. However, one social media site—LinkedIn—already covers this feature (and is known for being *the* place to hang out as a professional).
Audio and video calls are another feature adding to X’s bloat, as are Communities (which are separate from Lists). Articles (again, a feature already available on LinkedIn) and Grok have made the app even more saturated. I think that Twitter was already going downhill before 2022, but the app has become even less fun to use; unsurprisingly, some people use X less and less these days.
4 YouTube Shorts
Do you want to know how highly I value YouTube Shorts? Okay, it’s something like this…
… Every time they appear on my feed, I hide them for another 30 days. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum.
YouTube Shorts are basically just a way to compete with TikTok, but they’re incompatible with the primary reason why most of us visit YouTube. We go there to watch long-form content, and anyone who wants to see short-form stuff will go to TikTok instead. Personally, I think YouTube is better off getting rid of Shorts altogether.
X is having its problems, and I do think that a viable competitor needs to join the market. Threads *could* be that, but when Meta tries cross-promoting posts in the standalone Instagram and Facebook apps, it makes them more bloated. Moreover, you can’t read the recommended Threads posts you see unless you sign up.
I haven’t yet signed up for Threads, but if I do ever decide to join, I will go to the specific app. While you can hide Threads posts on Instagram, you can only do so for a limited period. Instagram already has too many bells and whistles with everything we discussed earlier; even more so when you consider ads, the Explore page, and so on.
New features aren’t a problem in and of themselves, but it’s vital that apps don’t become too bloated. If they do, it ruins the user experience and can result in many people spending less time online. Ironically, this is the complete opposite of what social media companies want. I’d like for social media businesses to be more mindful of what they include and not constantly bombard us with feaures that don’t need to be there.
