In an effort to promote user wellbeing, Instagram removed the ability to view the total amount of “likes” on other users’ posts in 2019. Recently, some users have received this message, announcing that users may now choose whether or not they want to view total “like” counts.
For years, users have debated about whether or not the ability to see total “like” counts is detrimental to wellbeing. Some reports have found that viewing “likes” on social media can contribute to stress and insecurity, particularly in younger audiences. Instagram’s new solution to the debate is simple— let us choose. The question now is, have we evolved past the need to see “likes” on Instagram? Since the original change, brands and influencers have still been able to use “like”-based data and other metrics to measure success. So much so, that there may no longer be a need to view total “like” counts for most users; personal, brand, or otherwise.
On the other hand, the ability to quickly tabulate “likes” makes it easy to define what’s trending and popular. Which is important, and it is vital information for brands trying to navigate this digital space.
With this update, users can choose to hide “likes” on their posts. However, it is a bit more complicated. Users cannot hide all the “likes” on their posts by default. Instead, users must decide whether or not to hide “likes” on each post individually.
The jury is still out on whether or not these changes are truly effective at ensuring digital wellbeing. What do you think? Have the last few months without visible “likes” been beneficial to you or your brand?
How to Hide or Show Likes on Instagram
- Go to Settings
2. Click on Privacy Settings
3. Select “Posts”
4. Toggle to Hide or View “Like” Counts
According to Instagram, the results from the “experiment”, as they’re calling it, revealed that “not seeing like counts was beneficial for some and annoying to others”. The final conclusion to this years-long debate was to give users the choice. Now the only question is, what’s yours?
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