From the start of 2019, Tiktok has been the top dog of all of the short-based videos, from dancing compilations, food videos, to short history lessons; TikTok had it all. TikTok would see success for a while, up until 2023, when Instagram reels would hit the ground running with its outrageous videos. From really cringy videos to gritty raw footage of vehicle crashes. Instagram reels is on a generational run, with people who used to watch Tiktoks religiously, switching completely over to Instagram reels.
One of the many reasons why people would switch to Reels is the randomness. One reel you’ll see a nice sports highlight, the next you’ll see a Reel that is an original sentence that a Victorian woman would combust if she read it. It never has a dead set algorithm that TikTok has.
On the other hand, TikTok has that set in stone algorithm that everyone loves. These are known as different “toks” These Toks can go from anywhere from foodtok to booktok, there is something there for everyone. A lot of tiktoks also come from edits, which is what TikTok is mainly known for.
See, I love Instagram Reels with all of my heart. I was on Instagram Reels when I was younger because my parents did not want me to have TikTok, due to the randomness of the relatively new TikTok algorithm. Not knowing what you were going to watch was a big issue, due to all of the random inappropriate things.
YouTube shorts would come about, and then Facebook Reels, etc. There would be many different types of short based videos, contributing to the lower attention span of people today. YouTube shorts would consist of some crazy videos known as “brainrot.” I try to stay away from brainrot terms, or videos in general, such as “Bombardino Crocodilo” or “Skibidi Toilet,” not being a fan.
Over all, I would have to say that Instagram Reels are the best in the big three. Reels have always been super easy to scroll, and would always be much funnier than TikTok. I have some vivid memories of watching Reels silently in class while nothing was happening and having to suppress my laughter. I never got that from TikTok.
