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  • The Atlantic

    How Comments Became the Best Part of Instagram

    In a world where everyone’s photos look the same, comments are what keep posts interesting.
    by Taylor Lorenz Jan 04, 2019 5 minutes
    Source: Shutterstock

    When Ashley, a 16-year-old who asked to be referred to by a pseudonym, scrolls through Instagram, her eyes barely skim the photos and videos that take up the majority of space in her feed. She double-taps anything she sees from her close friends, but the main thing she cares about is the comments below each pic. “Comments are the easiest to communicate. It’s just the easiest way to find people with similar interests,” Ashley said. In fact, she met her best friend in the comment section of an Instagram niche-meme account last year. After noticing some particularly witty comments, she clicked on the girl’s profile, followed her, and began starting conversations in the comment section of her Instagram photos. The two hit it off, and they’ve been tight ever since.

    For years, comments on Instagram were secondary to the photo and video posts that make up

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