Sister companies Facebook and Instagram have made it possible for users to disable the like icon on their posts on both platforms. This, they say, is a move to curb the feeling of insecurity and self-degradation in users who have little or no number of likes on their post.
The issue of giving an option to disable likes has been in the works by the company since 2019 after having faced criticism that social media platforms have become a primary cause of depression. It however came to fruition on Wednesday, 26th of May, 2021.
Rather than make it by default, hiding likes on Facebook and Instagram are optional. “What we heard from people and experts was that not seeing like counts was beneficial for some and annoying to others, particularly because people use like counts to get a sense of what’s trending or popular, so we’re giving you the choice,” Facebook said in a blog post.
It also added that the new feature will let users focus on the photos and videos being shared, instead of how many likes a post gets.
There’s also an option for users to enable the likes after it’s been previously disabled. This allows them to see a list of people who liked the post but not the number of likes gotten. Also not displaying likes publicly gives only the user access to view the number of likes privately.
To access the new feature, click “settings” and visit the “new posts” section. Facebook also announced in the blog post that it is funding external research about people’s experiences on Instagram, and “… how we can improve our policies and products to support our community.” It further called for proposals from academics and non-profits to help the research.
