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‘I would rather dropship my DNA to the CCP before I watch an Instagram reel’: Woman nails exactly why TikTokers won’t just switch to Reels

‘The only thing that is pushed to my Instagram feeds is AI, ads, and suggested accounts.’

Photo of Lindsey Weedston

Lindsey Weedston

woman sharing information on why she cannot use instagram(l) Instagram download page(r)

A woman explained why switching to Instagram Reels ahead of the TikTok ban isn’t going to get TikTok influencers the same engagement. Using her own Instagram feed as an example, she demonstrated how aggressively the platform pushes ads, suggested posts, and other junk content that crowds out everything she wants to actually see.

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While some users argued that she and others are simply using Instagram wrong, frustration with how Reels operates is a common feeling among TikTokers, who are instead switching to apps like RedNote in droves.

‘AI, ads, and suggested accounts’

In a thread on X started by @CatOrman1 asking why TikTok users can’t just switch to Reels after the upcoming ban kicks in, @TJPratt_ responded with a video by a TikToker explaining why she feels this isn’t a feasible replacement—at least not for popular creators and influencers hoping to do numbers like before.

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Tweet reading 'not to feed in to t*ktok discourse but whats wrong with instagram reels like is it not just exactly the same or'
@CatOrman1/X

“I am really sorry to all the influencers and content creators begging us to follow them on Instagram, but me following you on Instagram is not going to help because I’m not going to be fed you content,” the TikTok user says.

She goes on to show footage of her Instagram feed as she scrolls through, demonstrating how it gives her much more content that she didn’t ask for than anything she’s interested in engaging with. The TikToker has to get past an ad, a post from a magazine, and something from a brand she doesn’t follow before she finds something relevant to her.

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That’s followed by a sponsored post and then two from suggested accounts.

“It doesn’t matter if I follow every single person I follow on TikTok on Instagram in order to support them there because I will not see your content,” she concludes. “The only thing that is pushed to my Instagram feeds is AI, ads, and suggested accounts.”

‘You’re supposed to watch reels’

One X user countered that the TikToker could improve her experience by clicking through to the Reels section of Instagram if she wanted a video app experience.

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Tweet reading 'You’re not supposed to scroll the feed. You’re supposed to watch Reels. The feed is a remnant from a different time in IG’s life. Reels is where the tik tok experience is at. The UX could use improvement to make that more obvious.'
@alicia_bertsche/X

“You’re not supposed to scroll the feed. You’re supposed to watch Reels. The feed is a remnant from a different time in IG’s life,” said @alicia_bertsche. “Reels is where the tik tok experience is at. The UX could use improvement to make that more obvious.”

The Reels feed looks a lot more like TikTok, though some users may still find that it pushes more content they were not looking for than the banned app. As X user @mr_gop_50510 said: “Reels also sucks.”

Tweet reading 'Reels also sucks lol.'
@mr_gop_50510/X
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X user @rebmasel shared a screenshot from a Columbia Journalism Review article about the ban, highlighting a quote by an influencer that read, “I would rather dropship my DNA to the CCP before I watch an Instagram Reel,” boiling down the general sentiment among many TikTokers when faced with the possibility of a Reels migration.

Comments underneath the post echo this attitude; “This is beautiful,” “God, relatable,” “Iconic,” and “Poetry.”

In Body Image

TikTok users are not looking forward to Instagram Reels

Back on TikTok, it’s not difficult to find posts from users dreading the switch to Reels. Many appear to feel that the overall vibes on Instagram are bad or that it suffers from being years behind the times when it comes to trends and memes.

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@seancolby They’re a little behind on the trends 😆 #tiktokban #tiktoktrending #tiktoktrends ♬ original sound – Sean Colby

TikTok user @nigel.lavelle gave another explanation for why he is not planning on following everyone who switches to Reels.

“Here’s another reason why TikTok is so special, so unique,” he says. “I care about my ratio and how I’m perceived on those other apps. I am nobody’s groupie, I am nobody’s fan. However, on here, I have no problem following the entire world.”

“I guess the road gonna have to end when the road gonna have to end on January 19th.”

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