Sammi Strachan

I totally missed this news! I remember when Instagram first starting hiding likes for random accounts as part of a test, and oh boy, did it throw my agency’s influencer and social media departments for a loop.
I think putting the power in people’s hands is definitely a positive change for mental health. I’m wondering if hidden likes impacts the algorithms at all, like in terms of what shows up on each person’s feed? Do people still like the same posts even when the like count is hidden? I would think so because the account owner can still see the likes… and there are probably more elaborate algorithms at play than likes and comments. For example, I have IG but deleted the app from my phone so rarely check it, but when I do, I’m amazed at how IG knows what should go on top (e.g. engagements, new babies)… it’s saved me from missing important things many times.

This feature was initially rolled out as something they would automatically apply to all users, but they rolled back that decision because there was a lot of pushback for users. I thought the fact that they ended up rolling this out as a feature instead is telling as people value themselves by follower count on social medias (and like to leverage that) What I am curious to see how this affects is the Influencers that make their money based on how many followers they have– it essentially does not affect their metrics, but are people more or less likely to like something if they can’t see the like amount?

I’m in the same boat as Briana – I wonder how this quantitative feature change will affect influencers who may depend on this numbers to make money and create or retain brand partnerships. This article from Business Insider from 2019 talks about the initial rollout of removing likes in other countries and how it affects influencers. Some said, that they would have to find another metric on the platform to use. Another influencer said without likes, she is unable to evaluate the best type of content for her followers. A rep from an influencer agency said, “Likes are only “surface-level,” while metrics like engagement and click-throughs of URLs in posts show more about the relationship an influencer has with their audience.”

See more: https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-influencers-removing-likes-impact-2019-9#fewer-likes-more-authenticity-1

It will be interesting to see who takes advantage of this feature and who doesn’t – plus how it will affect the business side of Instagram.

Great post Sammi! Likes unfortunately play such a big role in society. If I post a picture and it doesn’t get as many likes as my other posts, I delete it. That ideology isn’t even rational. We should be posting pictures and content because it makes us happy not because others will “like” it. I do think the amount of likes plays a huge role for celebrities and influencers. The amount of likes they get is a symbol of their status. If Kim Kardashian only received 5 likes on her photos she would not be looked up to. Most celebrities receive thousands of likes, which a regular everyday person cannot attain. This difference in likes makes a celebrity, a celebrity, someone others aspire to be like. If they take their “like” feature down I’m curious to see if their status or presence on that platform will change.

I remember when the news of Instagram hiding like counts was first announced, I was very happy about it because during that time I cared way too much about how many likes I was receiving on my posts compared to others. This is the case for many users especially young users, which is why they decided to create this feature. Though once I started working with a friend who was an influencer, it got me thinking about how this would affect his business as likes are one of the metrics he uses to see if a piece of content is doing well. As much as I love this new feature and believe it will help to decrease some of the mental burdens associated with social media, it definitely a feature that should be kept as an option so that content creators won’t be too affected.

By turning off likes, users can focus on the content itself rather than the popularity of the content. Likes could be arguably crucial for creators who use the metric to communicate their value to partners (brands and advertisers). Hiding likes won’t change the Instagram experience or the self-esteem issues associated with social media when it comes to comparing ourselves with others, fearing missing out, and wondering what people think about you. If more and more people hide like counts, especially more prominent influencers, Instagram’s comparison aspect might lessen since no one would know how “Insta popular” others are.

Love this post! Social Media and the internet today have such a negative impact on peoples mental health, and I will gladly admit I am guilty of it. I was so happy when I realized my account turned off the view of likes because I didn’t care as much. I posted pictures I liked because of me, not for others, just trying to share to family and friends! There’s still those times when it’s hard not to compare my life and physical features to others, but had to remind myself that not everything on social media is real. People edit their pictures so much now that it doesn’t even look like their real selves, and same as to people only show one side of their life. not the difficult side. I’m a huge advocate for mental health on social media and open about my own struggles to let people know that they’re not alone and not everything is as perfect as it seems!

I love this post and I love the idea. Instagram recognize that their platform is one that doesn’t intend to contribute to mental health but does. I remember growing up when I was finally allowed to own a Facebook account, that I would constantly be disappointed when I didn’t receive over 15 likes on my profile picture, while my friends would receive upward of 50. What was wrong with my picture? Am I not as interesting to look at?

By taking away the numbers from the likes on a post, all users, young women especially can enjoy content without having to focus on the attention it receives. This addition will be good for mental health and will not affect users with a large following as their pictures will continue to be shared or shown in the discover page.

Honestly…why do we let a number define us? I know I shouldn’t let it define me and yet I still hate it when I only receive a handful of likes in an hour. NO MORE!!!