Guest Post: Are the Likes Worth It?

Are the Likes Worth It?

by Sarah Robertson

With the introduction of modern social media came the “like system”: a metric system which publicly reveals the positive interaction a person has received with a piece of content created for their audience, whether it be the general public or a select group of followers. Users were able to see how many people had positively interacted with the post of any person with a public profile/post at any given time. 

 

In July of 2019, Instagram famously started to test out removing the “like” feature from certain zones, such as Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, and many others. While some zones were purposefully included in this new update, there was unfortunately a bug that occurred in which more people than originally intended were added to the beta feature of this “likes” removal [1]. Almost immediately there was outrage, or at least something close to outrage and more akin to fear and anxiety. Some of you might remember one social media starlet in particular making a tearful video about how the “likes” system being removed was destroying her livelihood and how she needed to take a break from social media due to Instagram’s decision [2]. The viral outburst brought to attention a question that had originally led to the attempted removal of the like system: when had we come to place so much value in how many likes we achieved per post? This leads us to the main question of this blog post: Are the likes worth it?

 

Let’s address the first question. The main reason why Instagram decided to experiment with taking away the public nature of the metric value placed on interaction and engagement on posts was an attempt “to reduce anxiety [and]… to reduce social comparisons” [3]. As was becoming increasingly apparent, people had begun perceiving the number of likes they received as akin to their worth in the public eye [4], especially when considering the number of likes in comparison to their follower count or the amount of likes that people they knew were gaining. Evidence of this anxiety for high like counts can be easily found online: a quick Google search will show many sites with instructions on what day of the week and at what time it was best for people to post in order to get the highest amount of likes, and apps were developed so that you could schedule your posts during these periods of time. Multiple apps were also created in which a user could keep track of who unfollowed them from Instagram, so that if one felt the desire to, they could unfollow back [5]. Although these apps provide evidence that the desire for high like counts is common, the fact remains that chasing likes can be unhealthy for social media users. Numerous studies found that people who received low numbers of likes were likely to feel that they were of less value: their self-esteem was impacted along with their mental health [6]. People were more likely to feel depressed or unhappy when they began to compare themselves to others [7]. 

 

As the public began to consider how people might be negatively impacted by the numerical system attached to their public posts and some began to get too focused on the ‘likes’ system, it became frequently agreed upon that ‘likes’ needed to be eliminated [8]. This begged the question: what about people whose livelihood depended on being able to show a numerical value to companies?

 

As this question arose, so did a very easy solution: the person who the account belongs to will be able to see how many likes that they received as a numerical value, while others simply see a list of account names if they click on the area beside the little red heart [6]. As another way to view the number of likes, Instagram allowed one to change their account from “personal” to a “professional”, allowing for access to analytical data such as general engagement  on posts or account visits. In lieu of companies publicly accessing the likes an account obtained via a single post, the owner of the posting account could send an analytical report detailing the ‘exposure’ they could provide in exchange for sponsorships.

 

Many companies, having seen a fairly positive public perception of the elimination of the feature, as seen via a Google search conducted on the topic, started to think about following suit [1]. Companies such as Facebook and Twitter started to seriously examine whether they should also make the change [1]. However, as of this publication in 2021, the only social media platform to have eliminated the numerical value attached to the “likes” system is Instagram. Facebook introduced the idea of placing emotion behind one’s reaction in 2015 [9] and added the ‘care’ reaction in 2020 [10] to posts, but the general numerical value of all the reactions remains in place. Twitter still reveals the amount of likes and retweets a post receives, Reddit has kept the number attached to upvotes and downvotes, and Tumblr has retained its number of reblogs.

 

As of May 2020, Instagram decided to change the ‘likes’ policy and user experience once again. It appeared first as a pop-up notification when users opened the app the first time after the update was initiated, and asked you if you wanted to see ‘likes’ or continue to have them hidden.  This is not the only option available; users now have three options: they can choose to keep likes from appearing on the posts on their feeds, they can choose to hide the likes on their own posts from other users, or they can go back to the original user experience in which users see all likes [11]. 

 

So this brings us back to our central question: Are likes worth it? 

 

As seen by the most recent update to the Instagram likes policy, it is clear that the answer depends on each individual and what they stand to gain. For some, likes still remain a way of assessing self-worth and value in a social context, associating the number of likes they receive to be how much they are liked within their social circle. For others, it is simply a number and nothing more. Then there are those whose livelihoods are tangled in how many likes their posts receive, and I believe that in their case, the likes are definitely worth it. Luckily there was a recent update that allows users with a professional account easy to understand analytics through the ‘insights’ section [12]. 

 

In my personal experience as someone who posts only to update their family and friends on their lives or wanting to share a photo that they are proud of, generally speaking, the likes are not worth it [13]. It is important to recognize when your self-worth and how much you value yourself becomes heavily associated with something that does not literally represent you and how much other people are interested in what you have to give. Especially when it gets to the point that the association becomes unhealthy.

 

If you find that you are struggling with your self-esteem or your perception of yourself due to social media engagement and the ‘likes’ systems associated with them, consider changing your settings to eliminate the likes on your Instagram posts and feed. Or, consider taking a social media break and seeing if you find that beneficial. I have personally tried this and I found myself generally happier though I did start to wonder what I was missing from my friends’ and loved ones’ lives.  A break can be a good way of checking whether or not you need to work on your relationship with social media, use this resource to see if this applies to you.

If you’re interested in reading more on the subject look at these blog posts:

• Digital Detox: How I’m dealing with the information overload │ Eseohe Ojo
• Social Media and Mental Health │ Dominique Rivera
• Digital Mindfulness – Preventing Screen Addiction │ Jason Cheung 

 

How does social media affect you and your self-image? Does your time online impact you in a meaningful way? Are you following accounts that bring you joy? And, are your Instagram settings right for you?

 

References

[1] Meisenzahl, Mary. “Instagram Accidentally Removed ‘Likes’ for Some Users – Here’s What Your Posts Will Look like without Them.” Business Insider. Business Insider, March 3, 2021. https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-removing-likes-what-it-will-look-like-2019-11 

[2]  “Instagram Model and Influencer Has Meltdown After Likes Disappear from Posts.” News18, 27 July 2019, www.news18.com/news/buzz/instagram-model-and-influencer-mikaela-testa-has-meltdown-after-her-likes-disappear-from-the-app-2248045.html

[3] Nast, Condé. “Adam Mosseri and Tracee Ellis Ross in Conversation with Arielle Pardes.” Wired, Conde Nast, 2019, www.wired.com/video/watch/adam-mosseri-and-tracee-ellis-ross-in-conversation-with-arielle-pardes

[4] Sabik, Natalie J., et al. “When Self-Worth Depends on Social MEDIA Feedback: Associations with Psychological Well-Being.” Sex Roles, Springer US, 4 July 2019, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-019-01062-8 

[5] Johnson, Dave. “How to Figure out Who Unfollowed You on Instagram Using a Free App for IPhone and Android.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 8 Aug. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/who-unfollowed-me-on-instagram

[6] Leventhal, Jamie. “How Removing ‘Likes’ from Instagram Could Affect Our Mental Health.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, November 25, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-removing-likes-from-instagram-could-affect-our-mental-health AND Prieler, Michael, et al. “The Relationships among SELF-WORTH Contingency on Others’ APPROVAL, APPEARANCE Comparisons on Facebook, and Adolescent Girls’ Body Esteem: A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 21 Jan. 2021, www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/901/htm

[7] Prieler, Michael, et al. “The Relationships among SELF-WORTH Contingency on Others’ APPROVAL, APPEARANCE Comparisons on Facebook, and Adolescent Girls’ Body Esteem: A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 21 Jan. 2021, www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/901/htm

[8] Leventhal, Jamie. “How Removing ‘Likes’ from Instagram Could Affect Our Mental Health.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, November 25, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-removing-likes-from-instagram-could-affect-our-mental-health AND Prieler, Michael, et al. “The Relationships among SELF-WORTH Contingency on Others’ APPROVAL, APPEARANCE Comparisons on Facebook, and Adolescent Girls’ Body Esteem: A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 21 Jan. 2021, www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/901/htm

[9] Witte, Rae. “Should Instagram Get Rid of ‘Likes’?” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 25 July 2019, www.wsj.com/articles/should-instagram-get-rid-of-likes-11564071289

[10] Lyles, Taylor. “Facebook Adds a ‘Care’ Reaction to the like Button.” The Verge, The Verge, 17 Apr. 2020, www.theverge.com/2020/4/17/21224805/facebook-care-reaction-like-button-messenger-app

[11] Warren, Jillian. “Instagram Tests New Feature for Users to Hide Likes.” Later Blog. Later, May 27, 2021. https://later.com/blog/hidden-likes-instagram/

[12] Todorovska, Marija. “Top New Instagram Updates and Features in 2021.” EmbedSocial. EmbedSocial, July 2, 2021. https://embedsocial.com/blog/new-instagram-features/

[13] Burrow, Anthony L., and Nicolette Rainone. “How Many Likes Did I Get?: Purpose Moderates Links between Positive Social Media Feedback and Self-Esteem.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Academic Press, September 14, 2016. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103116303377 [note: this resource is not open access] 

Additional resources

Chozick, Amy. “This Is the Guy Who’s Taking Away the Likes.” The New York Times. The New York Times, January 17, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/17/business/instagram-likes.html

Fardouly, Jasmine, and Lenny R. Vartanian. “Social Media and Body Image Concerns: Current Research and Future Directions.” Current Opinion in Psychology. Elsevier, September 14, 2015. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X15002249

Fardouly, Jasmine & Brydie K Willburger. “Instagram Use and Young Women’s Body Image Concerns and Self-Objectification: Testing Mediational Pathways – Jasmine Fardouly, Brydie K Willburger, Lenny R Vartanian, 2018.” SAGE Journals, February 1, 2017. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1461444817694499?icid=int.sj-full-text.similar-articles.1#_i24 [note: this resource is not open access] 

Fardouly, Jasmine & Elise Holland. “Social Media Is Not Real Life: The Effect of Attaching Disclaimer-Type Labels to Idealized Social Media Images on Women’s Body Image and Mood – Jasmine Fardouly, Elise Holland, 2018.” SAGE Journals, March 1, 2007. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1461444818771083 [note: this resource is not open access] 

Jan, Muqaddas, Sanobia Soomro, and Nawaz Ahmad. “Impact of Social Media on Self-Esteem.” SSRN. European Scientific Journal, 13(23), 329-341, September 5, 2017. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3030048

Perloff, R.M. Social Media Effects on Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research. Sex Roles 71, 363–377 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6

Witte, Rae. “Should Instagram Get Rid of ‘Likes’?” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 25 July 2019, www.wsj.com/articles/should-instagram-get-rid-of-likes-11564071289

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Written by Sarah Robertson

Edited by Rachael Bradshaw

Featured image Heart and Zero Neon Light Signage by Prateek Katyal via Pexels License