I didn't appreciate the Instagram Reels bonus play program while I had it

When I was first invited to join the Instagram Reels Play bonus program in August of 2022, I quickly realized it wasn't going to grant me the amount of income it had allegedly said I could earn. But I would give anything to have that monthly income now in 2024.

Back when I was new to the program, I was still working full-time as a journalist. I couldn't even fathom the possibility that two years later, I would find myself struggling to make enough money to survive. If I still had that guaranteed payout each month, I would be in much better shape than I'm in now.

The most I ever made from Instagram Reels in one 30-day pay period was about $113.00. That's not a lot. But if you consider the fact that I uploaded one Reel a day, and spent maybe five minutes max on each one, the pay per hour was technically quite impressive.

Instagram pretty much capped my monthly payouts at around $105.00 per month. At the time, that annoyed me. No matter what I did to try earning more, nothing ever worked. I grew to resent that and, when the program abruptly ended in March 2023, part of me was grateful. I didn't have to come up with ideas for new Reels every day. I was relieved.

Then I got laid off a few months later, and haven't landed a full-time job since (and not for lack of trying, I promise). Do you know what I would give to be able to make $100 per month just by spending five minutes a day making little videos for Instagram?

The platform never gave a great reason for discontinuing the program, and while it does still offer occasional invite-only temporary bonuses to some creators, it's not what it used to be.

It's getting harder and harder for small creators to make money online, but that's not our fault. Blame capitalism.