Instagram takes down Total likes?!
Around late April to early May, news leaked that Instagram was removing the total amount of likes from peoples' posts. Many people started to notice that the social media platform had already started experimenting. Jane M Wong was one of the first to notice the update being tested and acquired screenshots of it being tested. Take a look down below.
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| Screenshots of the test taking place captured by Jane M Wong |
So why did they decide to do this? Instagram says the reason for this update test is to have users concentrate on their posts and interacting with the app rather than likes. “We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get,” Instagram says in one of the screenshots from Wong. The social networking service also stated that during the test, only the person who shares a post will see the total number of likes it gets. In today’s society people post pictures that they think is worth a lot of likes and will get people to like their profile more. Many users delete photos that do not get "enough" likes because they think it isn’t good enough but in
reality, they should be posting things
they are proud of and willing to share.
So, what do people think about this new update? Not only is Instagram a place to share your photos but it is also a way you can make money. Models and influencers constantly post pictures promoting a company in which they partner with and the more views and likes the post gets, the more money they get. Influencers jobs are to mainly post things they want the public to see and when they are posts aren't being viewed because there is no number of likes, no one views it.
I think that this update will help young people focus on what is really important rather than what gets more likes. We get so worried about what other people will think that some of the things we do is just to please others. Making total likes visible to the owner of the post will not only make people feel more confident, but it will also allow them to enjoy
You're right, Instagram made the right call. Despite the downsides for online influencers, they really focused on the youth swarming their platform. With so many youth online and feeding off of each others online presence, it was easy to be discouraged or judge others depending on the amounts of likes they had. Online, your number of likes equaled to your value, and it was a toxic mindset to be in. Luckily, with Instagram's new update, we lose that ability to evaluate ourselves or others because of a number. So you’re right, it will boost the confidence of other youth and let them enjoy the app in itself instead of worrying about their popularity online.
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