You might have noticed that Instagram has started hiding its likes. Why would it do that, you might ask, isn’t the whole point of Instagram likes? While it might be different and maybe even upsetting to some, Instagram only has the best interest of its users with this new update.
Back in November, the CEO of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, made the announcement that the USA was joining the list of countries that would have hidden public-like counts. While that might take the fun out of Instagram for some, the company only has the well-being of its users in mind. It might not come as a shock to hear that social media can be fairly toxic at times. Removing like visibility is Instagram’s way of battling that negativity online by trying to make their app a healthier and safer platform for all. The idea is that by not being able to see the number of likes, people will be more focused on the content itself and not just how many times it has been liked.
Now likes aren’t gone completely. Businesses will still be able to see the total amount of likes on their posts. Users will still be able to like as many photos as their heart desires and will still be able to see a list of who has liked a post. If anyone wanted to know the total number they would have to count out each like themselves.
As you can imagine removing likes has shaken up the brand and influencer market on Instagram since likes are one of the measurements of success on the app since the beginning. This doesn’t mean businesses won’t have any use for the app, just the opposite actually. Removing the like count it forces brands and businesses to engage more with their followers since they can no longer pay for likes or pay influencers to promote their business. This in turn will encourage users to engage more with the accounts they are following. This will create a HUGE positive influence in every industry since the increased interactions will give businesses more data to analyze and as a result help them create stronger content and relationships with their followers.
