Instagram’s taking away the number of likes on each Instagram post, so it’s time you stop letting these numbers to measure your self-worth, because others won’t be able to.
Instagram first started removing the number of likes in Canada, followed by other countries like Ireland, Brazil, Japan and more. It has been about seven months since then, and now the company is ready to hide the number globally.
This means that you can no longer judge someone’s post based on the number of likes on their post, but if it’s your own post then yes, you’ll still be able to see it. There are some advantages and disadvantages with this new update, but let’s start with the former.
One thing for sure, buying followers will be pointless — even though it’s a deceitful act and aren’t encouraged anyways. Influencer profiles are usually measured by their numbers of followers and number of likes in their posts, which is why some tend to buy likes so they can hype up the numbers to get more job opportunities. However, since the numbers are only visible to them, there’s no longer a need to buy likes. Sadly, the same can’t be said to buying followers, but we do know that Instagram are taking measures against that too.
Another positive impact that can come out of this is the lower possibility of Instagram users using these numbers as the foundation of their self-confidence. There’s no doubt that people are often comparing themselves to others, and having a solid number (of likes) just makes it easier to make yourself feel better or worse. Perhaps the missing numbers will also help Instagram users feel more at ease in posting what they want to post instead of posting what they think others will like.
Image credit: HypeAuditor
However, TechCrunch also mentioned the study by HypeAuditor which affects creators since brands and agencies can no longer use these numbers as a standard of judgment. The only alternative now is for these creators to screenshot their own profile, which can be easily altered with the magic of Photoshop. This update may cause many influencers to lose job opportunities because it may be easier for brands to just advertise with Instagram instead of the influencers.
The new update is rolling out globally now, so it won’t be long before you stop seeing numbers of likes in someone’s post.
