On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, Instagram hit us with a pretty big announcement. They took the big leap and informed Facebook and Instagram users that they would now have the option to hide LIKE counts.
Watch the video below to learn more about the official announcement and how you can hide the LIKE count on your profile or how you can hide the LIKE count on accounts that you follow:
Even prior to the isolation that platform users experienced due to COVID-19, Instagram had been strongly criticized for creating an environment that didn’t promote a positive mental health experience. Experts claimed that LIKE counts often created unhealthy comparisons among Instagram users and could potentially lead to anxiety and depression.
In a November 2019 blog post, Northeastern University quoted associate professor Rachel Rodgers as explaining, “Another psychological theory at play on social media is social identity theory, which holds that one of the ways that we gauge how well we’re doing as individuals is by comparing our standing to other people on a number of traits, including appearance.“
While Instagram had been testing this feature for some time, the official announcement to allow the user to be in control of their experience on the platform is shocking, as many influencers and businesses rely on LIKE counts to gauge interest or success of campaigns.
What do you think?
Will Instagram or Facebook become a better, healthier space for sharing now that users are able to hide LIKE counts?
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