Instagram Instants Flop, Bumble Removes Swiping & Elon Musk Trial Juror Speaks Out - NEWS ROUNDUP

May 15, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Instagram's latest experiments, conversations about AI's reach into scams and relationships, and shifts in how people date all surfaced this week, alongside a memorable moment from one of Elon Musk's ongoing legal cases. The episode examines these developments without forcing a single overarching narrative, focusing instead on how platforms and technologies continue to reshape everyday interactions.

Instagram's Instants experiment

Instagram introduced Instants, a feature allowing users to send quick, disappearing photos to friends or mutual followers through direct messages. The images vanish after viewing and last up to 24 hours, distinguishing them from Stories. Hosts noted that the addition continues Instagram's pattern of layering on formats—grid posts, Reels, Stories, Close Friends, and now Instants—while users report fatigue from needing to maintain presence across every one. They recalled earlier complaints from creators like the Kardashians when Reels were prioritized to compete with TikTok, and they highlighted how algorithmic changes since 2016 have already reduced visibility of personal connections in favor of larger accounts. The feature is framed as an attempt to recapture low-stakes sharing, yet the discussion suggested it mainly reflects Instagram's ongoing effort to match multiple competing platforms at once.

AI-generated scams and identity triggers

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What you'll learn

1 (02:38) **Instagram Instants Launch** - Hosts question whether Instagram knows its audience with new disappearing DM photos feature
2 (06:02) **Celebrity Influence on Platforms** - Discussion of how stars like Kylie Jenner have shaped app features and user expectations
3 (08:05) **Instagram's Repeated Strategy Failures** - Review of past experiments like IGTV, algorithmic feed shift, and Stories
4 (11:30) **Personal Instagram Experiences** - Hosts share how the algorithmic feed buries content from real-life connections
5 (12:42) **Disabling Instants** - Note that instructions will be in show notes
6 (18:11) **Real Housewives of Potomac Podcast** - Bridget discusses reaching out to Reasonably Shady hosts after their AI scam conversation
7 (24:25) **AI-Generated Crab Video** - Example of fake content that nearly got shared before being spotted as AI

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

THIS WEEK ON THERE ARE NO GIRLS ON THE INTERNET

There Are No Girls on the Internet is a weekly podcast hosted by Bridget Todd. Every Friday we drop our news roundup — the tech and internet stories that don't get enough attention, the ones about AI, power, gender, race, and who actually gets hurt when systems fail.

This week: AI-enabled stalking lawsuits. Fake AI-generated identities. Labor protests outside billionaire-sponsored galas. Kids bypassing online safety systems with fake mustaches.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. New roundup every Friday.

🎧 Here's what we covered this week:

Instagram has an identity crisis, introduces new disappearing "Instants" to make it more like Snapchat.

On the Reasonably Shady podcast, Robyn Dixon from Real Housewives of Potomac talked about the same racialized AI drop shipping scams we talked about last week. Gizelle got got! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noUoY0Izazc

A longform article in Wired by Alessandra Ram highlights the experience of the Sad Wives of AI, who are running their households while their husbands chase AI hype. https://www.wired.com/story/meet-the-sad-wives-of-ai/

The Dating App industry is experiencing a decline, for the first time ever. https://www.businessofapps.com/news/dating-app-market-first-annual-revenue-decline/

Bumble ditches swipe functionality, replacing it with AI dating agents. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/well/bumble-swipe-feature-online-dating-apps.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ilA.5Pxl.MonAWsmJg0SF&smid=url-share

The Bitch Talk podcast has been hilariously covering movies for YEARS. Give it a listen. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bitch-talk-podcast/id677269882 or https://open.spotify.com/show/4pDpOMKBDBQQ5rObGpKsJ4

It's a few months old, but we wanted to shout out Juror #96 in Elon's stock price manipulation trial for keeping their eye on the ball. https://bsky.app/profile/mm-jj-nn.bsky.social/post/3mlrc2xvx2k26

Shocking Hidden Video Exposes Hidden Crab Civilization With Advanced Alien Technology