Why is Instagram Hiding Likes Counts? [September Update!]

People capital is a considerably a real phenomenon that has indeed amounted to exemplify a modernistic trade that is exclusively correlated with a person’s influential applicability.

The number of fans that a person retains on social media has the ability to authentically change someone’s perception concerning them. You might appreciate them more, preferentially consider them more genuine, and feel a lot more inclined to trust their opinions.

Instagram hiding likes

A Screenshot from Jane Wong’s Twitter Account!

Instagram is currently testing a new feature that would hide “Like” counts on your post.

Rumors have circulated all around ever since screenshots acquired by Jane Manchun Wong, a Hong Kong-based lady, who as a passion searches for unreleased features within popular applications such as Facebook, Instagram, etc.

Jane uncovered that the app was testing a prototype of the feature, which however later was officially publicized at the Facebook F8 Developers Conference and was rolled out in Canada a week later.


New Update- Although the rollout was first observed in Canada, it was additionally tested in six other countries (according to TechCrunch).

Those countries include-

  • New Zealand
  • Italy
  • Ireland
  • Japan
  • Brazil
  • Australia

An Instagram representative denied the rumors and said: “We’re not testing this at the moment, but exploring ways to reduce pressure on Instagram is something we’re always thinking about.”

Meanwhile, Wong uncovered other Instagram prototypes hiding within gram’s Android code. Those include chat thread stickers for Direct messages, augmented reality filters for Direct Video calls, concurrent co-watching of recommended videos via Direct, karaoke-style lyrics that show up synced to soundtracks in Stories, and emoji reactions to feed posts and a shopping bag for commerce.

Instagram hiding likes

Other features that Jane Observed!

Instagram said- “We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get. During this particular trial, only the person who shares a post will see the overall amount of likes it gets.”

It was undoubtedly a relatively small layout adjustment test with major potential influence on users’ well-being. And so forth this might get an official release and perhaps it might not.

Bottom line- Among all the data and changes observed, a number of test attributes detected by Jane Manchun Wong was actually eventually released publicly, so it might as well.

Assuming that this feature ever rolls out, people would notice that their Instagram feed post misses a Like count on the left side.

Instagram New Look After Design Tweak

However, it would still display a few faces and the name of other people who’ve liked it. Users are going to be alerted that only they would see their post’s like counts, and anyone else won’t.


Impact on User’s Mental Health…

Hiding likes could improve the Instagram experience in a number of ways.

Stashing like counts would create the whole experience appear more organic and genuine.

People are going to feel more inclined to share what they want instead of concentrating on what may receive uppermost likes.

To add more, people may likewise feel less inclined to delete a post whenever it does not measure up to a specific limit of likes, hence turning Instagram into a much less of a fame contest.

Many of the users are considering it as a vibrant shift for everyone.

Concealing like counts would without a doubt minimize herd mindset, where people solely like those posts what’s already got lots of likes.

This would cut down on the sense of competition on Instagram since users won’t compare their personal counts with all those of more popular pals or superstar celebrities.

It would motivate creators to upload what senses most authentic and genuine as opposed to attempting to acquire likes for everyone to notice.

Initially, many users used to delete their posts that didn’t immediately receive “enough” likes and posted those posts to their fake “Finstagram” profiles that they thought that they thought wouldn’t pick many hearts.

Taking cover like counts is going to excite users post a lot more be a lot less self-conscious.

The latest report via UK’s Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) and the Young Health Movement looked at the influence of several social networks platforms on mental health and wellness. Statistics were taken into the record regarding the culture surrounding social media and the negative preoccupation with “likes” and measuring to others online.

While there were some constructive factors such as accessing fitness information, the opportunity for self-expression, feeling of likeness, etc; the negative outcomes were undoubtedly heavy.

Things like panic and anxiety, depression, isolation, sleep quality and negative influence on body image were all reported.

“For teenagers, this is great because it would no longer highlight levels of popularity of themselves against other kids,” explained Randi Priluck, a professor and associate dean at Pace University focused at social networks and mobile marketing. “But they’re still going to see their own likes. People are very driven by rewards so they’re still going to be competing for those likes. It’s not going to fully solve the problem.”

Hatred, narcissism, grudge and reduced self-image can all derive from contemplating like counts.

Like counts is a steady reminder of the prominence hierarchy that has emerged from socials media.

So if Instagram rolls out this function, it could put the significance back on sharing virtuosity and self-expression, not necessarily trying to conquer someone in a popularity contest.


How People Reacted to Instagram Hiding Like Counts?

A few reactions after Jane uploaded the screenshots-

Instagram hiding likes

User’s Reaction after The Post

The same happened a few months back when Twitter began an experiment by concealing the re-tweets totals behind an additional tap in order to discourage inauthentic competitiveness plus herd mentality.

While a benefit for many, some influencers articulated consideration related to their feed rankings in the algorithm and their source of income.

Although there are currently no plans to conceal follower tallies in accounts publicly, which are the main source of sponsorships for influencers.

Plenty of social networking companies make use of these algorithms and take into account influencer’s likes or view counts, and much more.

The Instagram team is most likely going to need an update in the algorithm to find a new means to curate feeds accorded to accounts popularity, such as engagement rates, comments, etc.

In the absence of likes, the changes have definitely turn out to be difficult for advertising companies to discover accounts with regard to paid promotions and sponsored post.

Conversation pertaining to getting rid of like counts has definitely triggered worries that could possibly impact the influencer’s advertising and marketing industries.

It is for this reason post engagement rates has become a key measure of effectiveness for influencer partnerships consequently.

What are thoughts regarding the changes?

Lemme know in the comments section below and please do share if you liked the post.

Till then?

See you next time!

Bye-bye.

Image credits: Twitter

 

Shivam

I write, play, and drink cups of coffee. In the free time, I do a little bit of SEO, Basic Hacking and Coding. Kind of NOT so big deal:)

 

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