No Likes For You: Instagram's New Reality Is A Good One

But can the app go even further?

• By Jamie Mah @grahammah

A few weeks back, Instagram, (you know that app you can’t stop using), took a turn for the better when they decided to remove the way we see likes on their platform. This test, currently only being done here in Canada, is a bold move for the social juggernaut as many use the app for precisely this reason  — people like to know how popular they are. 

Ahead of their recent F-8 developer conference, Facebook (Instagram’s parent company) released a blog post statement detailing this decision. 

“We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get. During this test, only the person who share a post will see the total number of likes it gets,” said Instagram.

As someone who generally isn’t bogged down by my overuse of Instagram (I sometimes get stuck scrolling), this decision comes across as noble and justified and one I commend. 

The whole debate as to how users choose to manipulate their Instagram profiles has caused me and plenty others to feel disenchanted by the whole app itself. When all people care about is gaining likes, followers and leverage for their brands, the commodification of the service takes on a whole new meaning —  one with less of a soul. This in turn hurts the apps overall appeal. 

It’s this attraction of connecting with others and their unique and real lives is why so many chose to use the app in the first place. Over the past few years, I believe we have lost part of that. It looks as if Instagram felt the same way. 

When likes and followers can be bought and when photos and stories can be faked or promoted for profit, the appeal, novelty and genuineness so many crave is lost to a society that’s now lying to each others faces. Bold steps such as this one are intriguing and as I mentioned earlier, commended. But I wonder, can Instagram go even further?

Could likes be removed entirely?

I ask this question based on this one idea. By removing the ability to like someone’s post, would Instagram be forcing it’s users to actually connect with each other? 

Instead of liking, if a user had something to say they would be forced to comment and create a discussion with whom they were viewing. This type of interaction, actually communicating with the person, would change the way most use and view the platform. It would, hopefully, discourage the use of bots all together, while also creating positive discourse around the content shared. This move would force users to consider their actions, their words, as well as what they might share. 

Craving attention and acceptance by others is never going away. As humans, we have a vital desire to being loved and admired by our peers. Instagram has created a platform where the sharing of one’s life can be seen by millions and it’s on this stage where we’re often willing to do whatever is necessary to rise to the top of the popularity scale. In not so light a phrase, “we’ve taken a great social sharing tool and made it into competitive contest.” 

Furthermore, this championing of likes and followers has caused many to see their lives in negative aspects. I believe, with this move, Instagram is trying to change the narrative of how we use and navigate their network. Removing the way likes are presented was a good start. Their full removal could be the next step towards users using the platform more solely for its initial purpose — as an app for sharing content. 

Perception is everything and this move by Instagram will definitely change the lens of how users interact with the service. Only time will tell if further steps are needed. 

I’m eager to see how this plays out. 

In the meantime, got a question for ya: Do you prefer scrolling stories or photos on Instagram? Please comment as I’m curious to know your answers.