Instagram To Remove Likes

Users will no longer be able to see the total number of likes and views on photos and videos that other users get, but will still be able to see their own statistics.

It’s a struggle for social media apps to stay relevant. Facebook is dead and Kylie Jenner single-handedly shut down Snapchat with one tweet.

Constantly evolving to meet the demands of thirsty scrollers Instagrams latest attempt to stay alive is to remove the like functionality from its platform. “It’s about young people. The idea is to try to ‘depressurize’ Instagram, make it less of a competition and give people more space to focus on connecting with people that they love, things that inspire them,” said Instagram’s CEO Adam Mosseri.

This is great news for people who may be impressionable and measure validation through likes. I mean who hasn’t obsessed over finding the perfect filter, angle or caption to be disappointed with the number of actual likes, repost or comments received. Or maybe you’ve stared a little too long at a friend’s post and asked yourself “why don’t I have that many likes” It’s so easy to fall into an Insta-hole and compare your life to others, believing what you see on screen. Instagram is actually taking a positive step to safeguard our mental health.

However, this isn’t great news for everyone. Some companies who use likes to keep track of data and measure success. It also impacts influencers, Instagram can be their only means of income. Even celebs aren’t happy about the change, Cardi B said that the change is pointless, that “comments are more dangerous than likes.” For a lot of celebs, Instagram equals big bucks, there is potential to earn thousands, even millions from what you post. “This is a fundamental change to Instagram, and so we’re continuing our test to learn more from our global community. We understand that like counts are important for many creators, and we are actively thinking through ways for creators to communicate value to their partners,” commented a spokesperson for Insta’.

Trails have already taken place in several other countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand. Back in July IG announced that “starting today, we’re expanding our test of private like counts globally. If you’re in the test, you’ll no longer see the total number of likes and views on photos and videos posted to Feed unless they’re your own.” In the past Insta’ has been criticized in studies linking the social media platform to poor mental health among its users. IG now wants “your followers to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get.”

Instagram has said that it will begin testing the new feature in the United States this week. Nicki Minaj—who has over 107 million followers on the platform—threatened to quit Instagram. She Tweeted: “I’m not posting on IG after this week cuz they removing the likes. Hmmm what should I get into now? Think of all the time I’ll have with my new life.”

The US update will take place this week, and it’s likely that the UK will be next.

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