Instagram’s hidden likes By Ioana Pintilie

Instagram’s hidden likes

A sweet dream or a nightmare?

Ever imagined what it would be like to scroll through Instagram and not see the number of likes under the posts? Instagram tested this somewhat peculiar feature in Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Brazil and Australia in 2019.

“Always feeling prepared to be a lab rat for one of the Tech Giants”

While reading the news, I was constantly thinking if and when the Netherlands would be taken in consideration for the grand experiment. Always feeling prepared to be a lab rat for one of the Tech Giants.

The aims of the no-likes feature: making people feel less anxious and reducing social comparison. This is what the CEO of Instagram said when asked about why this was being tested. We are living in a world where mental illnesses are prevalent. Being offered such a positive statement, it was almost as if the update was changing Instagram into a quick fix for the wrongs that it has been previously been doing.

Studies have shown that there is a link in between social media usage and mental health issues. Unsurprisingly, Instagram is one of the most detrimental social media for young people. Well, I truly think the world needs a social media app that would generate less pressure. But we do desire what we do not have – quality over quantity in the Information Age.

The quantity problem comes in connection to all who make money through Instagram. Nowadays, the number of followers is seen to have lost a bit of its importance. Other numbers matter, though. Posts from different pages can reach people that are not directly following them, engagement mattering more and more. And, of course, engagement

takes the like count into consideration.

After all of this, some recently published research has shown us something thought provoking. In a study by HypeAuditor it was found that the number of likes generally dropped for influencers that were not very famous. Only when influencers were more popular (500k to 1 million followers), the likes went significantly up in Japan, and only a bit in the UK. Furthermore, likes not being visible improved the well-being of the user. We were presented with a nightmare for the moneymakers and a sweet dream for casual app users.

“We were presented with a nightmare for the money-makers and a sweet dream for casual app users.”

This feature did not come alive and the idea vanished in time. What we do have though, is the new Instagram shop feature, which encourages direct buying. I guess a safe way to promote things has been more favorable for Instagram than changing something for the wellbeing of its users. What a shame…We can only wait to see what else the platform has prepared for us.

Now imagine having fewer metrics on Instagram - we would probably see brands changing their tactics, and we would probably see us changing our “tactics” too. Maybe there would be more actual self-expression through posts, topped up with less mindless scrolling and liking.

Column by Ioana Pintilie