Instagram’s trying out another way to incentivize creators, with a new “Achievements” display, available in “Creator Mode” in the app, which allocates different badges for engagement milestones, like reaching 100 total post likes, 1,000 video plays, and more.
The most immediate example that springs to mind Snap Streaks, which have almost become religion to many Snap users over the years. To start a Snap streak, you and a friend have to send a Snap to each other every 24 hours for three days, then keep sending reciprocal Snaps every day to uphold the streak.
Some Snap users have maintained 6 year long streaks (and counting), and that compulsion has kept many users coming back to the app.
Andrew Hutchinson
And just like that the gamification of Instagram is complete! Apparently, it was not enough to chase likes, comments, and views, now Instagram wants to become Steam as well…
I stumbled upon this feature these past days, as the app prompted me to join a ‘Daily story challenge’ after sharing a story. Tapping on the prompt led me to the screen above with the headline ‘Achievements’. This is supposed to be a feature reserved for creators and professional accounts, so I’m not sure how it showed up in my account. It could be a limited test for a wider roll-out, or a mere bug – I don’t even see a “Professional Dashboard” anywhere in the settings. I have recently unlinked my Facebook account from Instagram, a change introduced to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which might have confused some servers in the process. I have seen complaints on Reddit that achievements keep resetting, so a bug may be the more likely explanation.
I personally don’t see the point of introducing an achievements system unless it’s tied to some form of reward. Certainly, people don’t need more pressure to post constantly, particularly teenagers who might develop anxiety and addictive behaviors. There has been no mention of monetary incentives, but I guess Instagram could boost the reach of certain accounts based on their individual achievements.
This move also seems to suggest that engagement on the platform is declining, thus incentivizing Instagram to invent new ways of attracting and retaining users. Nothing surprising of course, given the fierce competition from TikTok and the general lack of direction and purpose on Instagram’s part, which over the years piled numerous loosely related features on top of what once was a clean photo sharing app…
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