Instagram Without “Likes”
If you haven’t heard, Instagram is getting rid of “likes” on their platform. They have been testing
methods of hiding likes for months in international markets. This includes Canada, Ireland and
Australia. In the next week, they are going to bring it to users in the United States, where the
company originates. For years likes have been a way to measure success on Instagram and
Facebook. It’s how celebrities, influencers, politicians and everyday users have experiences the
platform. In the past year, Instagram has been rethinking the toxic idea of likes.
The testing will include likes disappearing from Instagram’s feed and profile pages. The owner of the
account will still be able to see their likes, but followers won’t. Right now no one knows how many
American’s likes will be hidden for the testing. If you are a part of the test, you will get a notification
on the top of your feed notifying you.
I personally like that Instagram is getting rid of likes. I think it takes the competitiveness and toxicity
out of the platform. In the last couple years, the platform has been known for being detrimental for
young people’s mental health. I don’t think it will fix everything, but I think it is a step in the right
direction. It is still a platform that is very much based on celebrities and the “ideal” body, but the
platform can’t control that factor. I think taking away likes will have a positive effect on the platform’s
well-being.
Wow, I've never imagined a world without likes before. You are right however when you say that there is a lot of toxicity when it comes to likes on social media. It all becomes a competition and chips away at peoples mental health. I'm very interested to see how this new no like Instagram will turn out in America.
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting to try. I'm sure it would be good but people just tend to estimate everything. I do not think that Instagram without Likes will help to make people stop jugging each other. They will just use other apps.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI have found this research and trial and error to be very interesting. Depending on how everyone reacts and how all of the results turn out, I will be interested in seeing what happens.
Thanks for sharing,
Alyson Hoffman
I think this is an interesting step taken by Instagram. I think it is a step toward helping with those issues of negativity online but I can also see it not going well with everyone. I'm curious to see how this will turn out.
ReplyDeleteI think this is very interesting. I like the idea of taking away likes, even though it has created a lot of controversy. I think it is important for people of instagram to not compare themselves to everyone based on “likes” on a picture. Even though some people may be against it, you yourself can still see your amount on your own page, which should be the only thing that matters.
ReplyDelete