Why Instagram would rather posts disappear than be deleted by users

Instagram's evolution from careful curation to ephemeral 'stories' has been a success. But in becoming more like Snapchat, is it losing its reason for being?

Once, Instagram was little more than a feed of pretty much every photo taken by your friends. These days, people's expectations have changed. It's not enough to post a well-composed picture of your life: to keep up with the Joneses you have to have a well-composed life, too.

In the early days of Instagram, you could post your breakfast. Then, standards slowly raised, and you could only post your breakfast if you put some effort into it. Not just bacon and eggs, but refried beans and chorizo, or a porridge bowl with an edible flower on top of the perfectly drizzled confiture. Now, it's reached the stage where if you're not eating breakfast at a Michelin-starred hotel in the Caribbean, your picture may as well not be on the site at all.