Instagram Armageddon

To like, or not to like? That is the question.

Social media hell broke loose just a few months ago when Instagram accidentally removed users’ ability to see the number of likes on posts. Now, the app is seriously considering the feature’s permanent removal. 

This change has been in the works since 2019, but the glitch earlier this year was just a mistake when the app accidentally added real users to an existing experiment that is testing to remove the like feature. Some users were devastated. But I—and perhaps others like myself—took a sigh of relief. 

These polarized reactions to the disappearance of likes should force us to question whether we have become too reliant on a number to dictate our self-image and worth. 

Instagram’s intent when removing the feature was to increase the comfort of a user’s experience. Recognizing the detrimental effects of social media, the creators wanted to make their platform less like-driven, and therefore more relaxed. 

Like features have manipulated the average user’s self-perception and distorted the purpose of posting content across all platforms. Users are conditioned to associate the success of their posts with the number of likes instead of the joy of sharing genuine snapshots of their lives with friends.

Removing likes would nullify the comparison aspect of social media. Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, has said that staff are working to “reduce anxiety [and] social comparisons.” However, Instagram is still an experience that is like-laden and continues to encourage false online facades.

Social comparison has debased users’ self-perceptions on Instagram. I, like so many others, am guilty of internalizing my thoughts about likes on Instagram. It is so easy to get caught up in the numbers on Instagram compared to the actual content that is shared. Sometimes, I find myself looking at the number of likes on a post before even looking at the post itself. Thus, the removal of likes will help users separate their self-worth from a number. 

The controversy, however, is that Instagram is not used the same way as it was when the app launched in 2010. Business and brands create marketing schemes that are completely reliant on the engagement with their posts. Likes are essential for these people to run their businesses. When engagement rates increase for a business, it turns directly into profit: a viral photo yields more users following the business. Opponents of the like’s removal argue that without the feature, small businesses will suffer. 

As a result, this loss poses a serious threat to your favorite influencers such as The Bachelor runner-ups and YouTubers, as their brand deals with Revolve and SkinnyFit Detox Tea are on the line.

Although the economic and social benefits of using Instagram as a business mechanism are evident, posting on the platform should be unstressful. Social media is meant for the everyday user to connect with friends, and not to compare their likes or self-image with an Instagram Influencer. 

By removing the like feature, Instagram would set the precedent for valuing mental health over profit. The like feature threatens facets of mental health including self-image and perception. Thus, Instagram without likes would be a platform with less pressure to look and appear perfect. This change is only one new option that Instagram will present to users. Mosseri said users will soon be able to choose “not to see counts on anyone else’s posts, turning them off for your own posts, or keeping the original experience.” 

These options will present a challenge for businesses that have molded to an increasingly online world. A lack of the like, or the lack of attention to it, causes them to be devalued. Brands thrive off engagement with their content, but the average user may just want to post a picture that they thought they looked nice in. Any option Mosseri ends up pushing will cause businesses and influencers to suffer. 

Deciding to remove the like feature on Instagram would put users on track to improve their mental health and relationship with social media. Despite the fact that businesses and brands can suffer, mental health must be prioritized over the monetary gain others have at the expense of the average user. This is a step in the right direction for the app and will benefit the entire social media community.