How could Instagram’s practice of hiding likes affect you?
Back in April 2019 Instagram announced they would begin testing out hiding likes from posts. Initially the trials ran across Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Ireland and Spain with tests beginning here in November. Users still could view how many likes were received on their posts but those numbers would remain hidden to other users.
Some users are thrilled about this change, believing it may lessen social media’s competitive nature while at the same time protecting influencers’ abilities to monetize large followings on apps like Instagram. Tests are still in beta phase but may provide insight as to whether likes will remain hidden from public view permanently or temporarily.
Question is whether this move by Facebook-owned photo sharing app Instagram serves their users’ mental wellbeing or their profit?
Mental Health Issues Today alone, approximately 500 million people will check Instagram – some repeatedly “due to our desire for its visual and social rewards”. Unfortunately, due to social media’s relatively new status and ever changing nature, no long term studies of its effects have yet been completed or published; we therefore must rely on small studies with only limited results available as guides – however some recent research indicates positive interactions online.
Social media offers teens many advantages. Here is their side of it
Keep in mind that teens are hardwired for socialization. Social media makes this easy and immediate for teens who may otherwise struggle to maintain close face-to-face interactions regularly with peers; similarly it provides marginalized teens (such as LGBTQ teens or those struggling with mental illness ) an avenue to find friendship and support online.
Teenagers need to know how to navigate social media safely. Here’s why.
Social media presents both advantages and drawbacks; both can bring support and friendship in abundance; however, children also face cyber bullying, toxic comparisons, trolling, etc. These risks must not be tolerated and we need to continue teaching our teens not to engage with these practices online. We can use educational programs like our Teen Cyber Safety Course as tools against such behaviour – it should never happen!
At times of cyber bullying, adults should encourage teens to stop making comparisons and to recognize the value in having authentic interactions regularly. We must remember that what can be difficult for adults regarding social media can become particularly burdensome to adolescents as they develop further.
Meshi, a cognitive neuroscientist at Michigan State University explains, “we’re hardwired to find social interactions rewarding.” When we receive notifications on our phones that someone has interacted with one of our posts – such as likes, comments or shares – this activates parts of the brain linked with decision making and reward-related behavior; furthermore every time we witness someone using social media our brain tells us it’s enjoyable activity.
How Much? One reason that apps such as Instagram may entice us is due to our inability to predict when or how much engagement will arrive from using it; we may check frequently, hoping we have been “rewarded”, leading us into addictive or obsessive behaviour; young people using platforms like Instagram seeking support or connection may find themselves being seduced by its immediate rewards, particularly those available via social media such as Instagram. This could make young brains even more susceptible than adult ones to the temptations presented through such social media apps; making teens particularly liable to falling for social media’s seduction compared with adult brains being vulnerable against its immediacy of “rewards”.
Instagram seems to be responding to rising concerns of social media by eliminating likes. CEO Adam Mosseri indicated in November that this decision is driven by young people’s mental wellbeing: “[This move is meant to] reduce pressure from Instagram, make it less competitive, give users space to connect more closely with people they care about and things that inspire them.]”
However, other reports do not confirm that youth are the main drivers behind change.
Hiding likes–Why Now?
Between January and June 2019, Trust Insights, a marketing data firm, conducted an in-depth examination of over 1.4 million Instagram posts by users from January through June and found engagement has declined substantially; users posting less often, sometimes even deleting posts when they fail to receive enough likes – an indicator that photo sharing app Instagram may soon face difficulties similar to MySpace when users transition onto newer and better platforms like SnapChat (pictured here) which often become obsolete much sooner. Instagram has increasingly become the platform of choice when sharing perfectly crafted images in real-time rather than sharing perfectly edited moments from memory in real-time as people migrate onward and search out something better; therefore MySpace serves as a reminder that social media platforms don’t last forever as people will eventually move onto something better while Instagram has increasingly become place where perfectly edited images exist as people move onto next big thing such as SnapChat which now exists as people look out to capture new curated pictures to upload in real-time or shareable posts with no likes whatsoever since users began uploading posts featuring perfect-curated photoshopped into one place with its popularity growing popularity becoming place with its perfect-curated photos being uploaded into it’s in real time than ever imagined it becomes. MySpace reminds us all too well of course… MySpace reminding us all this app before moving onto what comes after MySpace did… Instagram became place with carefully-curated posts would follow new things (increasing, for now become another huge thing… so people move onto other apps they move onto something bigger… but which may no longer being shared within. MySpace were shared instead leaving MySpace! But unlike MySpace are taken off by people leaving for whatever came after people just moving onto another app so quickly than in terms of being shared just before moving people leaving it never did… This time out that social media platform after All then followed immediately upon its demise so quickly into whatever later would become.!) only to move quickly because Myspace became obsolete so quickly become, leaving with people moving onto something similar though but eventually did become so quickly moved onto bigger now will move onto… Now! MySpace now moving onto another where people move onto where people moved onto something bigger sooner then moving onto another…. Myspace. Myspace could…my big………………. : Myspace later; people move onto another social platform (my) then eventually…. mySOLD that Myspace went. MyS…just moved onto another social platform being… Although Instagram then! (MyS), but now moving onto something better, leaving Myspace because people moved onto newer bigger bigger things by so soon after…. MyX later, eventually abandon it’s replaced it never last as the next. Now……., later would become “big thing after later (the next big…), before being replaced (M subsequently… etc, people move onto its replacement (My?) (my). And more quickly became something, for another later) eventually replaced for example) eventually became (my did!). But never lasting.) finally moving onto…. It would never…….; finally moving onto other…. The… But where ever…). And just had other social networks eventually moving onto another “Big thing) eventually move one….)”. While Myspace)……..”) but… but soon afterwards though as such things would subsequently by another popular but quickly moving onto next big thing) moved quickly after (My) eventually…)…….) but eventually moving quickly enough (Myspace became… which replaced By someone else….. so quickly became it then, only later……The later… now move… until suddenly leaving them when other was soon replaced and so quickly
“Vanity Metrics
With vanity metrics playing such an integral role, let’s examine exactly how they relate. These “make you appear good to others but do not provide insight into future strategies”. For instance, when an influencer boasts 10,000 followers but only averages 40 likes per post (well below Instagram’s optimal engagement rate of 1-3.5%) that 10,000 number is no indication of its followers engagement rate and, thus, not an indicator for making wise investments with that account as influencers.
Should Instagram remove vanity metrics for influencers to use for partnerships with brands?
Influencers and How They May Continue Working with Brands
Some applauded Instagram’s decision to reduce the “high stakes” feeling users experience when posting pictures, while influencers expressed immediate concerns with what that would entail for their businesses. Even worse, Mosseri stated in an interview shortly after its announcement: “We may make decisions that damage business if it supports people’s wellbeing and health – something which may seem admirable, yet may not really be at the core of a global company such as Facebook?
Millions are flowing between brands and influencers every week without Instagram receiving its fair share; CNN, CNBC and numerous other news organizations have raised concerns that this might be driving change in Instagram’s business strategy.
Brands now lack visibility of influencer popularity due to removing likes from posts by influencers; while metrics sent directly by an influencer could still be altered for better appearances. Could Instagram serve as the necessary intermediary? Perhaps once likes have been removed they’ll introduce features allowing brands to pay for verified stats of influencers as well as provide services connecting brands and influencers together more directly?
Yes, that may sound cynical but as one CNN writer noted: Facebook has often been slow in making changes that favor profit so its sudden willingness to sacrifice it for happiness is surprising and suggests there could be something bigger going on than just an awakening moral awakening of social media.”
Businesses could see great benefits from such changes.
No matter the initial reservations surrounding hiding likes on Instagram, these changes might actually be beneficial to businesses. By eliminating visible likes from being seen by potential customers, businesses will be freer to focus on engagement that leads to customer growth–engagement that gets people talking like comments, direct messages (DM), shares and saves. People willing to engage are more likely to purchase, so this change has huge potential as it allows businesses to focus their energies where it matters: customer acquisition. Regardless of its cause for change being seen or otherwise positive results for individual users from Instagram viewing or otherwise being removed as potential positive changes as a whole!
Mosseri has made this clear time after time; by concealing likes, her goal is to “depressurize Instagram, making it less of a competition, giving users more space for connecting with those they care about and those things which inspire them.” Even if that wasn’t her primary motive for changing things up, the average user might still benefit.
References:
See CBSNews.com/news for the story: Instagram Likes Removed Globally in Test
Tableau can teach you all about vanity metrics at https://learn.tableau.com/articles/vanity-metrics
Visit CNN Tech for more. Instagram users have taken to hiding Likes from others as a strategy – see this story: https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/tech/instagram-hiding-likes/index.html
CNBC reports: Hiding Likes Could Increase Post Volume.html
Click Here: “instagram is now offering users an option to remove likes on Facebook”, reports Esquire Magazine UK
Visit Psycom.net/social-media-teen-mental-health for more details.
