Instagram Did What???

What does getting a like mean to you?

Some people may use it as a barometer on their popularity, or if your crush likes you, or even how famous you might be. The list continues and it is becoming a dilemma in the mental wellness world. CEO of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, and his team are aware and have declared, “We don’t want Instagram to feel like a competition, we want to make it a less pressurized environment”. This resulted in a new test of Private Like Counts.

So far, the only countries affected by this new change are Ireland, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Private Like Counts means Instagram will not display like counts. You can see who likes a photo or video, it just won’t add up the total number of likes. As the owner, you can see how many people like your photo, but only if you ask. Some people are outraged about this new momentum and some think it may be bad for business for Instagram. However, this does not affect the decision of Mosseri as he explains, “We will do things that mean people use Instagram less, if we think that they keep people safe or generally create a healthier environment. And I think we have to be willing to do that.” Instagram’s mission is to try to create a safe place and lead the fight against online bullying which will take years to accomplish.

What does this mean for the social media platform? There are multiple theories involved stating people will find other ways to fulfill acceptance from likes from a mental health view. Stories might become the next big thing and that could be hard to manage as a business. Will the United States be next? Time will tell. If you are interested and want to learn more and get ahead of the game on how to pivot your strategies with social media, we can help! Give us a call today!