is hiding likes in 6 more countries as they continue to explore whether users are happier when there is less focus on likes.
A few months ago the platform began testing a design tweak, meaning users were no longer able to see the total number of 鈥渓ikes鈥� on other users鈥� posts. 聽Users were able to see everyone who had liked their own posts, but everyone else鈥檚 numbers were hidden.
The testing began in Canada and although Instagram has said little about how the tests are going, however, their plans to roll out the tweak seem to suggest positive things. Starting today the social media platform will begin hiding likes from users in six more countries:
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Brazil
- Australia
- New Zealand
Likes may seem like an integral part of the platform, but Instagram has given good reasons for their experiment. Instagram says the change is 鈥渂ecause [they] want your followers to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get.鈥�
Instagram seems to suggest that likes being public means users care too much about them. In an age of mounting social media pressure on young people, as well as the general public, Instagram鈥檚 change is refreshingly focused on user wellbeing.
Many users may see the number of likes as a measure of success 鈥� or in extreme cases, even self-worth. Many users will delete their posts if 鈥榚nough鈥� likes are not received.
Hiding likes from the feed may well reduce this sense of self-doubt and even prevent bullying. Making the number of likes visible to the creator, means people can get some sense of what鈥檚 working on their feed, without having to worry about everyone else making judgements based on the number of likes.
Bellow is a look at Instagram鈥檚 design tweak. The banner at the top gives user a heads up about the change. The like bar just says 鈥淟iked by username and others鈥� instead of the specific number of users.
