Recently scrolled through Instagram to find other people’s posts liked by “others,” rather than a specific number of likes? If so, you’re one of the users affected by Instagram’s recent trial period, which prevents certain U.S. accounts from seeing the number of likes on other people’s posts. Although for now it’s temporary, head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri has hinted that it might eventually affect all users permanently.
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This U.S. trial isn’t the first experiment Instagram has run with likes. Beginning in July 2019, it’s been tested in Australia, Canada, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand.
But why?
With over 100 million users in the U.S., Instagram is an inevitable component of today’s society. And while this creative sharing network is meant to build community, its image-centric format lends itself to comparisons and critiques. In our influencer-driven world, the number of likes you receive on a photo go hand-in-hand with power and a person’s ability to convince others that they have influence.
Hence, the new trial. According to Mosseri, “the idea [of removing likes] is to try and depressurize Instagram, make it less of a competition, give people more space to focus on connecting with people that they love, things that inspire them” (Variety). Depressurizing Instagram certainly sounds compelling. But how well is it actually working?
While I can’t speak for others, losing the number of likes on other people’s photos came to me as a much needed, positive change. I’ve always really liked Instagram as a social platform, but it’s never been something that I’ve taken especially seriously. I post semi-regularly when I go somewhere cool or see something pretty, but I don’t treat it as a full picture of who I am as a person—it’s just a snapshot of my highlights. Because of this, the number of likes I receive has never really mattered to me.
Photo courtesy of Media.giphy.com
Still, I’d be lying to say I didn’t pay attention to other people’s likes. Some people get hundreds of likes, and others get a handful, and while this number should be completely meaningless, there is a certain level of clout attached to it. It was never something I’d think about actively, but there had to be a degree of subconscious psychological damage to scrolling through my personal account and seeing how many likes I received, versus how many likes other people received. It’s not something I wanted to do, but I don’t think I’m alone on this one. Comparison seems intrinsic to human nature.
So I’m all for removing the likes from pics. If Instagram really wants to be a space of connection, taking away likes as a sort of “social tag” is an important first step. Since the change, I’ve used Instagram just as often as I had in the past—there truly haven’t been any negative impacts on my user experience. Next step, making this change universal!
Photo courtesy of Media.giphy.com
Sources:
https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/instagram-hiding-likes-survey-people-dont-care-1203413020/
https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-removing-likes-worldwide-test-2019-11