The world of social media was rocked today as Instagram announced a new feature that will allow users to hide their like counts on posts. The move is aimed at creating a more positive and less competitive environment on the platform, which has been criticized for its impact on mental health.
According to a blog post by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, the platform will be testing this feature in select countries, including Canada, Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand. This means that users in these countries will have the option to hide their likes and the likes of others on their posts. The feature will be available for both photos and videos, as well as on the main feed and on profiles.
The decision to hide likes comes after years of criticism towards Instagram’s like-based system. The platform has been accused of promoting a culture of comparison and competition, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem among users. A study by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) found that Instagram was the most detrimental social media platform for young people’s mental health, with its like and follower counts being a major contributing factor.
Mosseri stated in the blog post, “We want Instagram to be a place where people feel comfortable expressing themselves and can focus on sharing their stories and connecting with others, rather than worrying about how many likes they get.” He also added that the company hopes this feature will “reduce pressure on the platform” and “encourage users to focus on the content itself, rather than the number of likes it receives.”
In addition to this, Instagram has also been testing another feature that will allow users to restrict comments and mentions from certain accounts. This is aimed at reducing cyberbullying and hate speech on the platform. The company has been taking steps to combat these issues, including introducing AI tools to detect and remove offensive comments.
The reaction to this new feature has been mixed, with some users welcoming the change while others expressing concern. Influencers and businesses, who often rely on likes as a measure of engagement, have also raised questions about the potential impact on their profiles and partnerships. However, Mosseri assured that the number of likes will still be visible to the user who posted the content, and they will also have access to their own insights and analytics.
This move by Instagram follows similar actions taken by other social media platforms, such as Twitter and TikTok, which have also experimented with hiding likes. The conversation around the impact of social media on mental health has been gaining traction in recent years, and this move by Instagram is seen as a step towards addressing those concerns.
The feature is currently being tested and there is no word yet on when it will be rolled out globally. However, it is clear that Instagram is taking steps to create a more positive and healthy environment for its users. As Mosseri stated, “We’re excited to see how this test will change the experience of Instagram for the better.”