Is Hiding Likes our Happy Ending?

Instagram has been crowned one of the most popular social networks worldwide, 2018 marking a momentous year, with Instagram reaching one billion monthly active users. On a daily basis consumer engagement is exceptionally high, with over 95 million photos being shared and over 4.2 billion likes being recorded in a single day on the app.  

Therefore the decision to trial hiding the ‘like’ feature has been incredibly controversial, with now only the user of the profile seeing the number of likes on their posts. A statement released by Instagram explained “We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love”.

A strong mentality exists around the correlation between how many likes a photo may get and this being a reflection of your self worth. According to a recent survey Instagram is the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing, the app being associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying and FOMO (“fear of missing out”). People often forget that Instagram is not real life and at the end of the day is really just a highlight real of everyone else’s. 

The main impact will be noticed by influencers and businesses, where likes equal exposure and exposure equals money. Likes, comments and engagement allow these parties to not only thrive but ultimately survive in the Instagram world. Although an unpopular opinion, I believe this feature is positive from a digital marketing perspective, encouraging brands to be more creative with the content they are creating and engage with consumers authentically and organically. 

Instagram is returning to its roots, cultivating a positive space where users can feel more open and comfortable to like and post without the fear of ‘likes analysis’. We can only hope, this in turn will reduce the negative mental health issues associated with it.