Do You Like Instagram’s Latest Change?
Instagram has officially made likes hidden for some accounts in the United States and people have a lot to say about it. Removing likes was already being tested in Australia, Brazil, and Canada, making it so that users could no longer see the number of likes and views other users received on photos and videos.
This test is part of an exploratory phase and it is yet to be confirmed whether or not hiding likes is a permanent change. Instagram is experimenting with this in an attempt to make the platform less stressful for users.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, explains how making likes private could potentially reduce rivalry among users.
According to an article from NPR, Mosseri explains how “‘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.’’
The decision to hide likes does pose a potential problem for Instagram influencers. This transition could cost them followers and money since a number of them rely on using Instagram as a business.
Emily Henshaw is a current senior from Australia, who believes hiding the number of likes will not create a major change.
“Over the summer in Australia they got rid of likes, but everyone still uses the app regularly, so it hasn’t changed anything,” Henshaw says. “I think after the transition phase it will be good for everyone’s mental health, because there won’t be any more comparisons and people will just post what they want.”
Senior student Kat Recio believes the decision to hide likes is smart.
“I think it is a positive change that people on social media need,” Recio says. “It will bring back authenticity to the platform that people have been missing.”
She also believes that removing likes will not result in people using the app less.
“People said they’d stop using Instagram when the algorithm changed, but none of them did,” Recio says. “Instead, people got used to it and this is just another change they will get used to.”
Dina Henderson is a senior who thinks hiding likes will positively impact people’s mental health.
“It took Instagram getting rid of likes for me to realize how unhealthy my relationship with Instagram is,” Henderson says. “I would post when I needed a confidence boost or reassurance and it didn’t hit me how unhealthy it was until they got rid of the likes.”
Henderson already feels less stress using the app, knowing that the number of likes her pictures get cannot be compared to those of others.
“No longer comparing likes immediately made my anxiety over Instagram disappear,” Henderson says.