It has been more than obvious lately that social media platforms evolve with the influence of their competitors. When Instagram introduced the option of posting 15-second videos opposed to just photos, it gradually eliminated Vine‘s popularity. Instagram and Vine always shared similar characteristics, but once the more popular Instagram incorporated Vine’s signature video option, users began shying away from Vine. In August of 2016, Instagram introduced the Instagram Stories feature that imitated one of Snapchat‘s key functions.
Snapchat is a social media platform that allows users to share temporary photos and videos with their friends. When Instagram announced their Instagram Story addition, users recognized the similarities it had with Snapchat. Some users even wondered if it would lead the fall of another social media site just like Vine. Now, 8 months after its inception, Instagram Stories users have officially surpassed total Snapchat users. According to recent statistics, Instagram Stories has approximately 200 million users where as Snapchat possess only about 161 million users.
This is not the first time Instagram has introduced an idea similar to that of Snapchat. In July 2014, Snapchat introduced a location filter function. Instagram would release it’s own location filter feature in March 2016. Instagram’s most recent introduction of the AR Stickers, which can be taken and watched on any AR & VR headsets, was first seen as a feature of Snapchat in April 2016. Currently, the only feature that Snapchat possesses that distinguishes itself from Instagram is the animated selfie mask option.
As technology constantly improves, innovation is essential to the sustainability of all social media platforms. Without innovation and individuality, social media platforms could share a similar fate to that of Vine.
