After Instagram’s move to test out a feature to hide likes on posts, Facebook looks to be follow suite as well.
App researcher Jane Manchun Wong discovered an unannounced feature that does just that – but like Instagram, this will only be a test for the time being.
It wouldn’t affect casual browsers, but those who rely on it more would absolutely lose their minds – mostly due to the way minds have been conditioned to acknowledge like counts. Followers of the person or page wouldn’t be able to see the total like count, but should be able to see a portion of whom are friends. On Instagram, the poster would have to tap into another window that lets them see the total count.
Facebook could work the same way too considering many business accounts rely on like counts to sell to advertisers.
I think it’s good that these two social media giants are doing this – it curbs hivemind mentality in people who like and follow simply to be a part of something ‘viral’. But with that said, creating viral content based on likes isn’t all bad either – take @world_record_egg for instance; they’ve used their fame to advocate for positive mental health, which is more than what we can say about your run-of-the-mill influencer.
Hiding like counts could put back more focus on the content – give something a like for what you enjoy, not what others enjoy. Plus, bot accounts and purchased likes are useless when the feature is implemented.
We foresee a more pleasant ecosystem on Facebook – which is a much needed, especially in Malaysia.