There is no actual answer to that question. But to answer it depends on your perspective. Therefore the answer is both yes and no. In a short time, Instagram went from being a niche photo-sharing app to a power that wields significant influence over social media and photography. That influence is both good and not good.
If you know your photography well enough, you won’t be deceived by a social media platform. Maybe it will even assist you in discovering new ways of coming up with something original. On the other hand, nothing is original, everything has been done before. This is like people saying digital cameras killed film… it didn’t. Instagram isn’t killing photography. Everything has to adapt to new situations, and social media is one of them.
Yes, it’s a double-sided affair. For creatives that use it for the right reasons, Instagram isn’t killing photography. The growing detests of repeated motives and styles will eventually result in more creativity and diversity. All photographers like creativity and most believe this step is necessary for the evolution of more creative imagery. Therefore, if that raises the bar: then so be it! It’s an art form that photographers crave, isn’t it? It’s up to them. In my own opinion, I believe that quality photography will prevail here. With or on Instagram.
We’re living through an artificial intelligence renaissance that will change “content on the Internet” in ways which are going to be tough to predict — however, our relationship with the craft is going to evolve, and there will be no moment where we are totally left behind.
There has been a slow decline of photography on Instagram feed. Reels are the main culprit of that change, but there’s more to it than you might think. I find reels, with photography as the subject, kind of cool. Especially the ones that educate. They show how the shot was set up and the final product.
Smartphones did shrink photojournalism, even if photography exploded in absolute metrics. There will be crafts and professions which shrink, while others grow.
Writing and software development will still be valuable crafts, but some of the skills required for excellence will change. If you are an experienced practitioner, consider yourself one of the valuable few who will understand why the AI might be suggesting something the way it is. If you are new to the craft, consider your edge the opportunity to embrace AI right from the get-go.
There will be bad actors, there will be greedy CEOs, and there will be some really bad decisions made along the way. But there will be opportunities for growth, new perspective, and some brand-new ways to have fun within the craft.
