Instagram will begin testing hiding your likes this week
Well if you thought Instagram couldn’t possibly screw up the user experience any further since ditching a feed that’s in chronological order, here’s a new one. But maybe it’s for the best?
The Facebook-owned app announced that it will begin hiding the total number of likes on photos and videos later this week in Canada. Followers won't be able to see the total number of likes a post has received, but the owner of the account will still be able to.
“We are testing this because we want your followers to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get,” explained the company in a statement.
While this change will certainly cause outrage for many users, some think it’s a great idea for those who feel constant pressure on the platform to get a certain amount of likes.
Experts however add that it won’t entirely fix or solve self-esteem issues because users will still be able to see their own likes, and people will still compare their own lives to others on the platform.
If the changes are made on a wider scale, influencers and celebrities on Instagram with paid partnerships could face problems because their payment is based on engagements and part of that involves likes.
Source