Instagram’s Experiment to hide Likes
If you are up-to-date with current events, a little less serious than Trump’s impeachment, then you might’ve heard the buzz of Instagram’s experiment to hide the number of likes on a post. For a second, you’re probably wondering if Instagram is genuinely thinking about it or just pulling a good o’ 2019 PR stunt. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on where you stand, it doesn’t seem like a PR stunt. According to a CNN article, Instagram has already began “testing removing likes in several countries, including Australia, Brazil and Canada. Last week, the company said likes would be hidden for some US users, too.” So what changes can we expect from the user experience? Evidently, users will “no longer see the total number of likes and views on photos and videos… However, they will be able to see how many likes on their own posts received.” On top of this, if the name of the accounts that you follow liked the photo, then their names will show under the photo, and the list of accounts who liked it will show on a separate drop down option- but no final head count. These subtle modifications generate a completely different interaction and aesthetic Instagram package.
The changes in Instagram’s format allows a new discourse to surface. What exactly does this say about our society? First of all, Instagram is impressive. Instagram evolved from being a platform where people simply shared photos and witty captions to an aggressive and bold global market. Users can now curate their own brands and ultimately earn a living- curtain call for the Youtubers, creators, entrepreneurs, and influencers.The transformative branding platform is also all inclusive. It welcomes an infinite number of opportunities for imaginative productions and continuous flow of ingenious ideas. All anyone has to do is find their niche, maneuver the correct networks, and react to the audiences’ responses.Therefore, Instagram is an unrivaled platform that beautifully and evidently exemplifies creativity of our times. It showcases the expansion of the expressiveness of our society and our relentless trailblazing of new mediums and outlets to attract spectators.
On the other hand, this platform exposes the hunger for the striving lifestyle. In order to upkeep the branding, content creators (and the rest who fall under this category) are fixated on the stats: views, likes, comments, etc. The brands keep users engaged by presenting perfections, because perfection promise likes, #goals guarantee followers, “moods” motivate publicity. We must understand (if we haven’t already) that Instagram accounts desire to post the perfect photo, the most entertaining highlight reel, and super vibey b-rolls.. can’t forget the facetunes and photoshop, in order to nurture their brands. When we realize it’s a certain aesthetic, body image, or lifestyle that reels in the stats, there’s a shift not only for the audience but also for the creators. The shift begins with an aggressive hunger to accomplish the maximum capacity of content production or an obsessive desire to monopolize and defeat competitors. It’s crazy to come face to face with the reality the weight that these photos, videos, and stats hold. The hyper-awareness of these statistics has produced individuals who are thoroughly invested in the image or version of themselves they’ve created online. So, the number of likes and views are not just accountable numbers but affirmations to their digital existence.
A creative platform that can simultaneously provide a steady income is positive. So then why is there such a wave of reactions to Instagram experimenting on hiding the number of likes. The change evidently uncovers the disconnect between the physical world and the cyber world. With unprecedented technological advances, we as a society have entered into a foreign space. The new era of Instagram embodies a 24/7 open diner with constant flow of customers and products. We are unable to completely disconnect from both the digital realm and reality. Whether the Instagram likes headcount is hidden or not demonstrates the war that rages within the balance of the two very real existing spheres. In the digital world, the numbers are great: larger following, a sense of validation, purpose, acceptance yet in the physical world the same numbers can provoke emptiness, loneliness, “burning out”, and disconnectedness. In the midst of juggling both spheres we’re having to check-in into one and check out of another, which demonstrates the impossibility to be fully present in both realms at the exact same time. Our minds weren’t program to fully grasp and function within the two divides; consequently, it takes a toll on our emotional and mental capacities. Therefore, the experiment on what to do with the “likes” is not just an aesthetic or strategic gesture, it’s a clear indication of how as a whole we are coping with the existence of the two spheres.
CNN article link: https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/14/tech/instagram-hiding-likes-globally/index.html
