You can now tell Instagram's algorithm what to show you
What's the story
Instagram is introducing a new feature, "Your Algorithm," to give users more control over their main feed. The update was announced by Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram. He said the feature will allow users to see and modify topics they are interested in across all major sections of the app. Currently, it only supports topic customization but future updates may include requests for people, moods/vibes, content types, etc.
Feature expansion
Expanding user control
The "Your Algorithm" feature isn't new to Instagram. The company has been gradually giving users more control over some algorithms on the platform. This includes the Reels feed and the Explore page, both of which have already received this feature. Mosseri sees this update as just the beginning of a larger movement toward user empowerment on Instagram.
Philosophical perspective
Empowering users to shape their experience
Mosseri shared his thoughts on the new feature, saying it's more than just a simple update. He believes that as a business, it's important to give users the power to customize their Instagram experience. "I believe it's in our best interest as a business to empower people to shape Instagram into something that works for them, and that people should be able to have a meaningful amount of agency over the products they spend so much time in," he said.
Technical achievement
Addressing user discomfort
Mosseri acknowledged that algorithmic recommendations are a major technical achievement. However, he also highlighted the cost it has on user agency. He said, "The system learns from what you tap, watch, and share, but you don't really get to tell it what you want." This one-sided interaction is what makes people uncomfortable about social media platforms like Instagram.
Technological shift
Technological shift and its impact on user experience
Mosseri said that traditional ranking models were based on technologies that weren't understandable to users. But with the advent of Large Language Models (LLMs), Instagram can now "look at clusters of content and describe them in language people understand." This technological shift gives Instagram a way to show users what it thinks they're interested in and vice versa, allowing for a more interactive experience.