Instagram is in the process of testing a new feature on their platform that would hide “Like” counts on your page.
Cue the rumor mill! Word has spread around since a tester this was announced based on leaked screenshots of the news update, but it was officially announced at the Facebook F8 Developers Conference. These updates will be first officially published in Canada in the coming weeks.
Here is what we know so far:
- Instagram is experimenting with the idea of removing the total number of likes from it’s posts, starting with Australian users.
- Users will no longer be able to see the total numbers on other users posts, with the quantity of interactions replaced by the name of one user who has liked a post followed by the phrase “and others”.
- Once the Australian experiment is complete the update will go to the second trial in Canada.
- Instagram is currently suggesting it might look to roll the feature out worldwide depending on how users react to this shift.
What this means for your social media marketing?
Nothing! This shift will not effect your marketing reach on Instagram. If anything it might help companies as people who are cluttering the platform in search for “likes” could be discouraged thus desaturating the market.
My Personal Opinion
I almost never give my personal opinion about news; I have found it to be better when you stick to the facts and figures but in this case I feel like it fits.
Over the years we have seen people risk their lives and the lives of others trying to get “likes” or go viral. In some cases it has worked but in others this has been the cause of users feeling a lack of self worth. It has been shown that when people receive positive reinforcement it releases a natural shot of dopamine; This is also known as “Social Media Brain”. When the user is not getting this “love” on social platforms it can also lead to depression. So how do we fix this? Getting rid of likes is a huge start! I feel like this will relieve the pressure of users connecting their like count to their self worth.