Instagram modified its notification section into a shop tab that will take the user to shop from small businesses to promote them. Instagram was meant to provide a platform where people can share their life and experiences. But with this modification, it is turning into an e-commerce online platform that gathers user data and forces them to open the shop feature.
The social media companies collect user information and look for the products preferred by the people to target them with advertising. The consequences of this shift of Instagram are making people more susceptible to targeted advertising ruining their social media experience.
Instagram was a place where people capture and share their historic and memorable moments and save them as a memory. People came here to build a community, to share their experiences, and get to know about others.
The shop button which was previously a heart icon that shows recent activity and notifications. Mostly, how people reacted to the shared posts and story was displayed in this tab. Since, it the most used tab of Instagram, the platform redesign it to the shop button purposely. As they know that users will habitually tap on the notification button and it takes them to the new feature. That’s how people will get to know about the new modification.
The majority of people do not come on Instagram to buy things. First, app developers launched an unnecessary feature and then, gradually create the demand for it. The potential harm caused by this modification is the exploitation of sensitive data of users by the social media company. Usually, people post about their personal experiences like mental health, physical health issues, their loss, traumatic events, happy moments, sad moments, and every personal information that they want to share with their friends. A third party getting access to such kind of information is a safety concern that can be dangerous for the users.
What would be shown in the shop tab is designed by the attribute of personal likings. What a user likely to see, share, or like, the products according to those preferences will be displayed in the shop tab. In an Instagram blog post, it was said that people wanted to try the product Instagram influencers talk about. But not all of the users use Instagram to shop. If Instagram prioritize shopping, there must be an option for users who are not interested in shopping to go back to the normal version.
Read next: What Digital Marketing Trends Will 2021 Bring For Us All? (infographic)
The social media companies collect user information and look for the products preferred by the people to target them with advertising. The consequences of this shift of Instagram are making people more susceptible to targeted advertising ruining their social media experience.
Instagram was a place where people capture and share their historic and memorable moments and save them as a memory. People came here to build a community, to share their experiences, and get to know about others.
The shop button which was previously a heart icon that shows recent activity and notifications. Mostly, how people reacted to the shared posts and story was displayed in this tab. Since, it the most used tab of Instagram, the platform redesign it to the shop button purposely. As they know that users will habitually tap on the notification button and it takes them to the new feature. That’s how people will get to know about the new modification.
The majority of people do not come on Instagram to buy things. First, app developers launched an unnecessary feature and then, gradually create the demand for it. The potential harm caused by this modification is the exploitation of sensitive data of users by the social media company. Usually, people post about their personal experiences like mental health, physical health issues, their loss, traumatic events, happy moments, sad moments, and every personal information that they want to share with their friends. A third party getting access to such kind of information is a safety concern that can be dangerous for the users.
What would be shown in the shop tab is designed by the attribute of personal likings. What a user likely to see, share, or like, the products according to those preferences will be displayed in the shop tab. In an Instagram blog post, it was said that people wanted to try the product Instagram influencers talk about. But not all of the users use Instagram to shop. If Instagram prioritize shopping, there must be an option for users who are not interested in shopping to go back to the normal version.
Read next: What Digital Marketing Trends Will 2021 Bring For Us All? (infographic)
