Instagram block repeat Reel senders

We all have that friend. We haven’t seen or spoken to them in months (or maybe even years), but they send us Reels on Instagram or videos on TikTok incessantly. I have 3 different people who send me a couple of videos a week, and I simply… don’t reply. There’s something comforting about having friends who will yeet videos into the void with no expectation of a response.

However, from the wrong person, this can be very annoying. This got me thinking. What if Instagram prohibited you from sending Reels to someone who doesn’t reply? This is interesting because the platform could set a default (say 5 videos), but it’d be a more powerful feature if a user were able to set their own limits.

Given that this kneecaps the “virality” of Instagram, I don’t see them rushing to implement this any time soon. Yes, it’d be a better (or at least quieter) experience, but part of what makes the platform beautiful is being able to send friends unsolicited videos as a lightweight to check in.

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