Instagram is currently in the process of removing likes, although not completely. You can still view the amount of likes you have, although you cannot see how many likes other people receive on their posts. I think this is a great feature because a lot of people are concerned about not getting enough likes. Taking away the feature which allows other people to value your posts based on how many likes you get decreases this concern. For example, a lot of people base their self-worth on the number of likes and comments they get. They become insecure because others may not view the number of likes they got as substantial as theirs, resulting in them looking down on others. This unhealthy behavior can lead to a negative self-image. Instagram taking away likes lessens the pressure of getting a high number of likes on every post, hopefully resulting in social media causing fewer mental health problems.
What are your thoughts, do you think this new feature will be good or bad? I personally think this feature will be beneficial and change how various types of social media will function in the future. Hopefully people can start seeing social media as it was originally intended to be seen: a way to share one’s life through pictures, videos, and text posts, or a way to produce diverse types of content. I hope after this feature becomes implemented, social media won’t be about competition anymore. I hope people can see social media in a positive light and can be able to use it comfortably as their own, creative space.
What do you think? Do you think Instagram’s new update will be for the better or for the worse? Do you think it will hinder influencers from making money off of their Instagram posts? Maybe comments will be the “new like” and we can never escape the toxicity of social media. Personally, after using Instagram for many years, I think eliminating the access to likes on others’ posts will be good for society.