Instagram, Remove the Number of Likes Already
It’s time they made good on their statement about valuing mental health over money
“They removed the number of like counts!” my fiancé, Dylan, exclaimed.
It was Tuesday, March 2, 2021. We were relaxing on the couch together watching TV when he logged onto Instagram and realized the total number of likes that he had received on his posts were no longer public.
I was shocked. I remember back in 2019 when Instagram had floated the idea of removing public like counts in the U.S., but nothing had come of it.
Excitedly, I opened the app, eager to see what this new world of Instagram without like counts might look like. But, my like counts were still there. So I tried updating the app. When that didn’t work, I deleted the app and re-downloaded it. When that didn’t work, I turned to Google.
It turned out that the total number of likes being hidden on Dylan’s account was a fluke.
“We unintentionally added more people to the test today, which was a bug — we’re fixing this issue and restoring like counts to those people as soon as possible,” tweeted InstagramComms, Instagram’s PR team.
I felt disappointed. I was ready to live in a world without like counts. It seemed like it would be a happier world. One that was less vain, and a little more focused on living. I mean, is there anyone with a social media account who hasn’t equated their value to the number of likes they received on a post? And who hasn’t compared the number of likes they receive on their posts to the number of likes of someone else?
It’s Designed to Be Addictive
According to PBS News Hour the social reward system of likes, comments, and other notifications from our social media posts, “activates the ventral striatum, a part of the brain that focuses on decision making and reward-related behavior.” This is the same area of the brain that fires when people indulge in gambling, eating cake, or having sex. According to cognitive neurologist Ofir Turel, this is “why checking social media is so enticing.”
We can’t place all of the blame on ourselves for falling into the trap of excessive social media use. Craving likes and comments on social media is literally something that is hardwired into our DNA.
Removing Public Like Counts
In November 2019, Instagram’s CEO, Adam Mosseri, first announced the idea of private like counts to Wired. He stated that the move was being made to improve the emotional and mental health of Instagram users.
“It means we’re going to put a 15-year-old kid’s interests before a public speaker’s interest… When we look at the world of public content, we’re going to put people in that world before organizations and corporations,” said Mosseri.
It has been well over a year since the announcement, and Instagram has yet to make like counts private. For this reason alone, it would be easy to assume that this quote was only paying lip service to a cause in the best interests of the company. But is that really what is really going on here?
Mosseri addressed this issue in a video posted on his Twitter on Friday, March 5, 2021. He explained that the delay in removing likes had been due to the team pivoting to address the more pressing challenges of 2020, such as the pandemic and The Black Lives Matter movement. The potential transition to private like counts had been put on the back burner in order to focus on providing people access to vital information concerning COVID-19.
And yes, Instagram did in fact take steps to enact positive change during a time when all of us needed help.
Pandemic Related Initiatives
On March 24, 2020, they released a number of updates to help users access accurate information “including more educational resources… removing COVID-19 accounts from recommendations unless posted by a credible health organization… [and] creating a shared story to help those practicing social distancing connect with others using a “Stay Home” sticker.
And on April 22, 2020, they released an article with tips for small businesses, helping them make the most of selling products on Instagram during a time that they especially needed a little extra help.
Instagram has also supported the Black Lives Matter movement through direct statements, the hashtag, #ShareBlackStories, and efforts to amplify Black voices.
Closing Thoughts
In Moserri’s Twitter video I mentioned earlier, he said that Instagram had since revisited the project of making like counts private. However, due to the polarizing nature of the idea, they were exploring the alternative of offering private like counts to those who were interested, while allowing those who wanted public like counts to keep them.
Giving users the option to choose private like counts does not solve the core issue. It does not prioritize the mental well-being of a 15-year-old over the interests of organizations, corporations, and influencers. Teenagers are not likely to opt to make their like counts privates, especially if their friends are not choosing to do so.
Given the profound effect that social media has on our mental health, social media companies have a moral obligation to make decisions with the wellbeing of their users in mind. Instagram is clearly a progressive company, as evidenced by its desire to make a positive social impact during the pandemic by way of supporting small businesses, ensuring accurate information pertaining to COVID-19 to users, and promoting the BLM movement.
As users of the app, we have a voice. If you feel strongly that Instagram should remove public like counts for the betterment of our collective mental health, post on Instagram using the hashtag #removelikes. Let’s show Instagram that we’re tired of being measured by like counts.
