Title: Instagram Ditches the “Rug Pull” Approach: An Update You Might Not Know About
You launch Instagram on your mobile device, and an alluring video on your feed catches your attention. But before you can dive into the content, the feed refreshes, and the video disappears.
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At first glance, this seems like a system malfunction, isn’t it? But contrary to popular belief, Instagram was deliberately employing this technique. However, due to the user complaints, they have now ceased this practice.
Subheading: Instagram Ends the “Rug Pull” Strategy
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, recently posted a video on his Instagram Stories, discussing an unanticipated change on the platform that many users might be unaware of. Mosseri revealed that Instagram has discontinued an internal practice known as the “rug pull.”
Mosseri explained the “rug pull” as a scenario where users access Instagram and view content which suddenly vanishes and is replaced by new content in the feed.
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Astoundingly, Mosseri confirmed that this technique was deliberately employed in the Meta-owned application. According to Mosseri, Instagram chose to display this content as it was preloaded in the app and provided users with something to view as the app downloaded new content since their last visit.
Mosseri admitted, “It was generally good for engagement,” but also conceded that it was “really annoying.” Therefore, due to the inconvenience caused, Instagram decided to terminate this practice.
It’s worth mentioning that Instagram isn’t the only platform that uses this technique. For example, Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, displays content in the ‘For You’ feed that disappears moments after the app launches on a user’s phone. Initially, I perceived this as a glitch, much like the one I assumed was occurring on Instagram. However, it seems some social media platforms are willing to compromise user experience to meet their engagement targets.
Let’s hope that this practice is eradicated across all social media platforms.
