Doesn’t it feel good (or a bit special) when someone sends you a reel or a meme? I mean - they saw something, they thought of you, and pressed that share button. That small moment of connection, that split second, where your friend paused their scrolling because something reminded them of you, is exactly what Instagram's new Blend feature is quietly erasing. Blend And honestly, I am NOT impressed. What Is Instagram Blend? FYI, Instagram has rolled out its new "Blend" feature that sits right inside your DMs. Instagram "Blend" Blend It allows you and your friends to create a shared feed of Instagram Reels, curated based on content suggestions specific to each individual. Once you tap that little icon at the top of your chat and send an invite (which the other person needs to accept), you will get a joint feed that's updated with new content daily. Each Reel comes with a name letting you know who it was originally recommended for - so if you watch cat videos (I do), your name appears next to those clips. Plus, Instagram also sends notifications whenever new content is added to your Blend. According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, the goal is to help "Instagram be a place where people connect over creativity." Adam Mosseri "Instagram be a place where people connect over creativity." Now, if you are with me, haven't we seen this somewhere before? Yes, Spotify Did It First (And Instagram Kept the Same Name) Back in August 2021, at the height of the pandemic, when we were all desperately seeking connection, Spotify launched its own feature called – yes, you guessed it right – Blend. Spotify Blend In the music streaming app, this feature allowed friends to merge their musical tastes into a shared playlist, complete with "taste match scores" to compare listening preferences. Meta has a long history of "borrowing" features from other platforms. I mean Snapchat's Stories, TikTok's short-form video format (Reels), and now Spotify's Blend feature (they didn’t even bother to change the name). "borrowing" they didn’t even bother to change the name As Arjun Narayen, Spotify Product Manager, described their version of Blend: "It helps people find common ground with one another... Each time I make a Blend with someone, there's this awesome moment when we discover which artists and songs we both like and get to bond over how we discovered that artist". their version of Blend "It helps people find common ground with one another... Each time I make a Blend with someone, there's this awesome moment when we discover which artists and songs we both like and get to bond over how we discovered that artist". Now this sounds meaningful - discovering something about each other through shared tastes. Then, Why Instagram Blend Misses the Mark Instagram Blend The answer is – timing. Because we are not in 2021 anymore. Instagram has continuously developed features that prioritize algorithmic engagement over genuine connection, and Blend continues this troubling pattern. algorithmic engagement over genuine connection The pandemic-induced screen time that made features like Spotify's Blend so popular has now reached troubling levels, with studies showing adults spend up to a third of their waking hours on digital devices. This excessive screen time is actively damaging our relationships. Research has found that it increases emotional disconnection, miscommunication, and conflict, particularly between significant partners. Research There is even a term for ignoring someone while using your phone - "phubbing" (a blend of "phone" and "snubbing"). "phubbing" phubbing "phone" "snubbing" Compelling research shows that time spent on smartphones results in fewer meaningful conversations with established partners and even causes people to smile less around others. The WHO published a report in 2024 revealing that more than 1 in 10 adolescents (11%) show signs of problematic social media behavior, struggling to control their use, and experiencing negative consequences. report What's more concerning is that these numbers are increasing - the proportion classified as problematic social media users jumped from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022. So, Meta Completely Missed Signals If Meta had been paying the slightest attention to what is happening in society, they would have noticed a new growing desire among young people to move offline for relationships and friendships. Meta offline There has been a rising conversation around the lack of "third spaces" - places that are neither home nor work where people can gather and connect. "third spaces" third spaces One teenager shared her experience about third spaces, putting it perfectly: "Without third spaces, people have fewer opportunities to meet new people, engage in conversations, or simply exist in a shared environment. Instead, many people retreat to online spaces, accelerating polarization and isolation." her experience "Without third spaces, people have fewer opportunities to meet new people, engage in conversations, or simply exist in a shared environment. Instead, many people retreat to online spaces, accelerating polarization and isolation." Young people are increasingly aware of how digital connections fail to fulfill their social needs. As put by Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe: "It's clear that social media can have both positive and negative consequences on the health and wellbeing of adolescents". Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge "It's clear that social media can have both positive and negative consequences on the health and wellbeing of adolescents". The challenge is finding the right balance - something Meta seems uninterested in addressing with features like Blend that only deepen our digital dependencies and occupancies. The challenge is finding the right balance Blend And, It Hits the Real Value of a Shared Reel Shared Reel The main problem with Instagram's Blend is that it completely misunderstands why we share content with friends in the first place. When your friend sends you a reel of a cat doing something ridiculous, the value is not in the content – it is in the fact that they thought of you. thought of you That cognitive moment where they paused, remembered something about you, and took action to share it with you – Now that's what we call the real connection. real connection By introducing Blend, Instagram is replacing that active thought process with a passive, algorithm-run experience. algorithm-run experience Instead of "I saw this and thought of you," it becomes "the algorithm determined we might both enjoy this." "I saw this and thought of you," "the algorithm determined we might both enjoy this." See the difference? One is a human connection, the other is an algorithmic suggestion. But People Want Human Connection, Not Algorithms Human Connection The irony is that Meta is launching this feature to help people "connect" at a time when research clearly shows that young people are willing to pay money to meet friends offline. "connect" They are seeking authentic human connection because they recognize that sending memes all day is not the same as having deeper conversations essential for well-being. Research on social media's impact on psychological well-being found that while there are some positive effects through bonding social capital, ‘digital-only’ connections often create what researchers term a "disembodied disconnect". "disembodied disconnect" disembodied disconnect This divide separates those who effectively use digital platforms from those who struggle with relationship difficulties, experiencing adverse effects like rumination and weakened offline social ties. Closing Thoughts Instagram's Blend feature is neither rightly inspired nor moving in the right direction. Instead of helping us create deeper connections, it is replacing the small but meaningful moments of human thought ("this made me think of you") with algorithm sharing. ("this made me think of you") As one user commented on Instagram's feature announcement: "Reels bhej bhej ke hi baat chit hota tha, ab same reel aayega toh koi kyun hi bhejega?" ("Conversations used to revolve around sharing Reels, but now if we get the same ones, why even bother sending them?") one user commented "Reels bhej bhej ke hi baat chit hota tha, ab same reel aayega toh koi kyun hi bhejega?" ("Conversations used to revolve around sharing Reels, but now if we get the same ones, why even bother sending them?") That question captures everything wrong with Blend. By automating what should be a personal choice to share, Instagram is not enhancing our connections – it is further diluting them into algorithm-run interactions. Maybe instead of designing features that keep us glued to our screens, tech companies should be asking how they can genuinely enhance human connection rather than replacing it with algorithmic simulations. But that would require actually listening to what people want and need - something Meta apparently didn't bother to do before launching Blend. Lastly, it is mostly about what they want, not what we actually need. actually

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

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