Instagram's Bot Apocalypse: Why I Ditched the 'Gram for Good 🤖📸
When photography platforms become spam factories, and why your feed looks like a corporate copy-paste nightmare
Remember when Instagram was actually about, you know, instant photos? When opening the app meant seeing genuine moments, creative shots, and maybe the occasional artfully arranged avocado toast? 🥑
Those days are deader than film photography (sorry, film purists—I still love you).
A recent observation from the photography community perfectly captures what's wrong with Instagram today: identical photography accounts posting nearly identical content, with suspiciously similar descriptions, all hawking the same print-and-bag combo deals. It's like someone took the concept of "photography community" and fed it through a corporate content mill.
And honestly? This brings me right back to why I said "sayonara" to Instagram in the first place. 👋
The Great Bot Invasion 🚨
Let me paint you a picture (pun absolutely intended): You're scrolling through photography hashtags, hoping to discover some fresh talent or get inspired by creative work. Instead, you're bombarded with accounts that feel... off. Same captions. Same posting schedule. Same promotional patterns.
It's like walking into what you thought was an art gallery and discovering it's actually a warehouse full of knockoff prints being sold by identical salespeople reading from the same script.
BOTS. BOTS. BOTS. BOTS. BOTS.
Did I mention bots enough times? Because that's exactly what Instagram has become… a bot farm masquerading as a photo-sharing platform. 🤡
The Anatomy of Instagram's Photography Zombie Accounts
These accounts follow a predictable pattern:
Generic photography/art-focused username ✅
Bio that mentions "prints available" ✅
Posts that look suspiciously similar to other accounts ✅
Captions that read like they were generated by AI having a bad day ✅
Promotional posts that appear on the same days across multiple accounts ✅
It's like someone created a "How to Be a Fake Photography Account" starter pack and distributed it to a thousand bots. The creativity level? About as inspiring as a stock photo of someone pointing at a laptop screen.
My Instagram Breakup Story 💔
This bot epidemic isn't news to me, it's exactly why I ghosted Instagram harder than a bad Tinder date. The platform that was supposed to celebrate awesome photography has transformed into something that makes Google Ads look subtle.
Think about it:
When you open Instagram now, you're essentially signing up to watch the same advertisement over and over again, willingly.
It's like Groundhog Day, but instead of Bill Murray, you get endless carousel posts selling the same generic prints and canvas bags.
The transformation timeline:
2010-2014: "Look at this cool photo I took!"
2015-2018: "Here's my photo, please like and follow!"
2019-2021: "Here's my photo, buy my preset pack!"
2022-Present: "Here's a video of me pretending to take a photo while selling you stuff you don't need!"
What Instagram Used to Be vs. What It Is Now 📊
Then: A Photo Platform
Actual photographers sharing actual work
Square format that made you think creatively
Chronological feed (revolutionary, I know)
Comments that weren't just bot spam
Now: A Marketing Hellscape
Reels, reels, and more reels (because apparently photos are passé)
Algorithm that shows you everything except what you want to see
Stories packed with "swipe up" links
Comments section that looks like a bot conversation simulator
The Video Takeover: When Photo Apps Forget They're Photo Apps 🎥
Remember when Instagram decided photos weren't cool anymore and pivoted harder to video than a startup running out of funding? Suddenly, every photographer felt pressured to become a content creator, dancing their way through camera tutorials and "day in the life" vlogs.
It's like your favorite coffee shop suddenly deciding they're a nightclub. Sure, they still serve coffee, but good luck enjoying it over the thumping bass.
The Solution: Time to Move On 🚪
Here's my hot take: Just move on from that crappy social network and join Foto as soon as possible!
(Still not sponsored, but hey, Foto team, my DMs are open) 😉
Instagram had its moment. It was beautiful while it lasted. But clinging to a platform that's more interested in turning photographers into salespeople than celebrating photography is like trying to develop film in a microwave - technically possible, but why would you want to?
Why Photographers Deserve Better 🎯
We're artists, not billboard space. We create because we love capturing moments, playing with light, and telling stories through images. We don't need a platform that treats us like unpaid marketing interns for generic print-on-demand services.
The photography community deserves:
Platforms that prioritize visual content over engagement metrics
Algorithms that actually show your work to people who care about photography. Or even better. No algorithms!!!1
Communities built around creativity, not conversion rates
Spaces where "photographer" doesn't automatically mean "influencer wannabe"
The Instagram Detox: Liberating Your Creativity
Since leaving Instagram, I've noticed something amazing: I take photos for the joy of taking photos again. No more worrying about:
Whether this shot will "perform" in the algorithm
If my caption has enough hashtags (but not too many!)
Whether I should turn this photo into a reel
How to awkwardly work in a product placement
It's like removing a weight you didn't realize you were carrying.
Your Mission: Break the Bot Cycle 🎯
If you're still on Instagram, here's your action plan:
Audit your feed: Notice how many accounts feel "bot-ish"
Unfollow liberally: Life's too short for fake engagement
Explore alternatives: Foto, 500px, Flickr… remember platforms that actually care about photos?
Support real photographers: Find and follow accounts that inspire you, not ones trying to sell you stuff
The Bottom Line
Instagram's bot problem isn't just an annoyance, it's a symptom of a platform that's lost its way. When identical accounts posting identical content can thrive, you know the system is broken.
The good news? We don't have to accept it. We can choose platforms that respect photography as an art form, not just a vehicle for selling canvas prints and tote bags.
Your creativity deserves better than being buried under an avalanche of bot-generated content. 📸✨
Tired of fighting the algorithm? Subscribe for more honest takes on photography, gear, and the platforms that actually matter. No bots here, just real thoughts from a real photographer.
Want to see what photography looks like when it's not optimized for social media? Check out my work at pedrothomaz.pt and discover what happens when art comes before algorithms.