Okay, here’s the blog post:

Instagram just added “watch history” for Reels. Let’s be clear: this isn’t an innovation. It’s a desperate, panicked attempt to justify its existence. Let’s dissect this, shall we?

The core argument – “It should help you to dig up old favorites you’ve lost” – is, frankly, insulting. The implication here is that Instagram’s algorithm has been so aggressively burying your perfectly delightful Reels that you’ve essentially entered a state of amnesia regarding their existence. As if your memories are simply fading away because the platform doesn’t immediately shove them in your face. It’s like saying, “Oh, you forgot that cute puppy video you adored? Don’t worry, we’ve built a feature to remind you, because *we* know you’re incapable of remembering things.”

The assumption underlying this entire announcement is that the primary use case for Reels is, well, remembering things. Let’s be honest, the vast majority of people don’t scroll through Reels with the express purpose of excavating forgotten delights. We scroll because we’re bombarded with content, because ads are cleverly disguised as entertaining videos, and because Instagram, designed by teenagers, seems to believe that the optimal way to spend an hour is by staring at short-form video.

But let’s unpack the actual logic here. Instagram, a platform built on fleeting trends and viral challenges, *now* wants to track what you’ve *already* watched? It’s like a detective building a case based on the evidence of past indiscretions. “Aha! You watched a video of someone making pancakes! Clearly, you have a weakness for breakfast content!” The algorithm is, predictably, going to use this data to serve you *more* of the same, creating an echo chamber of short-form, often mindless entertainment.

And let’s not forget the staggering amount of data Instagram is collecting. It’s not just tracking *what* you watch, it’s tracking *when* you watched it. Suddenly, Instagram has a granular understanding of your leisure time, and, frankly, it’s a little creepy. Do you *really* want a social media platform knowing that you spent 17 minutes watching a guy build a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower? (I’m just asking, based on observable patterns).

Furthermore, the “dig up old favorites” narrative is a massive deflection. The real problem isn’t that you’ve lost track of Reels. It’s that Reels are overwhelmingly designed to be addictive and manipulative. They’re engineered to keep you scrolling, consuming, and ultimately, spending more time on the platform. This feature isn’t a solution; it’s a shiny distraction from the fact that Instagram is, at its core, a highly profitable system designed to exploit our attention spans.

So, thanks, Instagram, for the watch history. It’s a wonderfully pointless addition that does absolutely nothing to address the fundamental issues with your platform. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go find a video of someone making pancakes. I have a feeling I’ll be scrolling for a while.

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