Instagram is an app based primarily on aesthetics. All kinds of people: celebrities, highschoolers, you name it, use the app to post and share pictures of themselves. It is a way to get a glimpse into other people’s lives and pictures they enjoy.
Originally, when you would share a post, it would appear on your profile cropped to a square. That was the default design: squares. This was great because it matched what the post typically looked like. Now, it shows up as rectangles. This throws off the profile’s balance and the overall look and intrigue. A lot of “Instagram Influencers” use the app to reach people who are inspired by their content and are interested in their lives. Most people would follow along with the content creator because they liked the overall layout of the profile.
The main reason why the squares were so wonderful is because they were the default setting and matched the size of most of the pictures people would post. With the setting now having rectangles as the default, a lot of the pictures people post will end up being stretched to fit the template. This makes images of people look strange and distorted. It will completely destroy the look of profiles that have been carefully designed to entice new followers.
As an Instagram user, the look of a profile is key to whether or not I follow someone. If the profile is disorganized and chaotic, I don’t want to see the posts. To me, that communicates that I will be uninterested in the content. Unfortunately, with this new update, I will no longer be able to tell if the account appeals to me because I am so distracted by the shape of the posts.
Instagram continues to try to “fix” problems for users that don’t actually exist. In this case, no one, to my knowledge, has complained about the default setting of squares. However, I have seen nothing but criticism for the rectangle setting. It is frustrating to see things I appreciated about the app be exchanged for permanent changes.
Instagram has likely updated the thumbnail settings to try and align themselves to TikTok, which is known for the rectangular shaped videos. With the 12-hour ban, Instagram tried to set themself up to be the obvious replacement.
Originally, the only part of Instagram that had a rectangle thumbnail was the reel page since they would appear as rectangles when opened. Now everything shows up as a rectangle.
Overall, my main issue with the new update is the fact that I cannot adjust it. I have no control over how my profile and posts are presented to others. I liked the squares because they matched the pictures I wanted to post. Now, people may have a different idea of what post they are going to see based off of the thumbnail.
If I was given the option to change my posts to rectangles or squares, I would be more accepting of the update. However, I have no say over my own account in this aspect. It is frustrating to lose the style that I liked for one I personally dislike.
