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Instagram lets users hide likes to reduce social media pressure

bbc.com

121–130 of 224 posts

Re: Instagram lets users hide likes to reduce social media pressure

#122
> Mr Mosseri said there had been a "polarised" reaction from creators - accounts which make money through brand partnerships and advertising on the platform - but that the new feature didn’t affect revenues.

Considering how many people make a living directly or indirectly on Instagram and/or other social media platforms, I wonder what shape the opposition will take to these steadily growing measures of user "protection". I understand Instagram/Facebook, at the end of the day, will not take actions that will harm their expected growth or revenue, however, that does not mean influencers won't get shafted in some way.

Re: Instagram lets users hide likes to reduce social media pressure

#123
post #45
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll give it another 5 years before social media is viewed on the same level as cigarettes. The best thing I've ever done for my mental health was deleting social media. I realize I'm not significant enough to argue of other people about my own life. As long as you're not harming anyone else you're free to do whatever you want. Social media says no you have to shape your entire life around what people you'll never me…

And now you hang out at HN which is totally different from social media. Where people never seek approval from the masses. Chastising other people as a concept does not exist on HN. HN, the not-social media, does not even have a concept of likes.

I think HN is actually worse, as the "approval" you get here is ostensibly from peers and folks that one may think are "just like them". It's easy to brush off not being approved by random Karen's on Facebook but far harder to accept PG or someone like him calling you a loser...

Re: Instagram lets users hide likes to reduce social media pressure

#125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We add deliberate friction to dangerous activities all the time. Speed bumps, for example, for those who lack the “self control” to follow the posted limits.

That's a good point, but we don't only sell blunt knives in case someone goes on a stabbing rampage. Nobody would blame the knife for the rampage.

Ironically, a large portion of people are willing to support legislation like the Brady bill which would make it legal to go after the manufacturer of guns which are used in mass shootings.

Many people in america do blame colt, Winchester, Remington, etc for ever even manufacturing these weapons in the first place. I've heard that the UK is also very strict about knives so maybe some of that can happen there too...

Re: Instagram lets users hide likes to reduce social media pressure

#126

Even with positive intentions, I'm not convinced this will solve the problem in any meaningful way. Turning off likes might be perceived as someone being unhappy with their social media status relative to their peers (ie, not getting as many 'likes' as their friends), which signals its own stigma. Users will be forced into a new dilemma: Enable likes and accept the 'social media pressure', or announce to everyone tha…

I'm not a social media user, but I'm actually considering to start using Instagram with this feature. Disabling likes doesn't show that I harbor insecurity, it simply removes the 'rat race' feeling that I have with social media. (which was the reason why I stopped using it a couple years ago).

İt doesnt disable likes, it hides them.

Re: Instagram lets users hide likes to reduce social media pressure

#127

Even with positive intentions, I'm not convinced this will solve the problem in any meaningful way. Turning off likes might be perceived as someone being unhappy with their social media status relative to their peers (ie, not getting as many 'likes' as their friends), which signals its own stigma. Users will be forced into a new dilemma: Enable likes and accept the 'social media pressure', or announce to everyone tha…

I'm not a social media user, but I'm actually considering to start using Instagram with this feature. Disabling likes doesn't show that I harbor insecurity, it simply removes the 'rat race' feeling that I have with social media. (which was the reason why I stopped using it a couple years ago).

I use Instagram but I don’t bother checking like counts or the list of who liked a post. You have to go out of your way to look for this information anyway.

I suppose disabling the feature could help those who can’t resist the impulse to check and who get upset if they don’t see the expected number of likes. It’s more of a forced self-control option.

I have known people who struggle with phone and social media addiction, but I have to say that the HN caricature of Instagram is nothing like my experience or that of anyone I know. Instagram has been great for keeping up with photos of friends’ hobbies, travels, kids, and other fun things to share. I suppose if someone felt significant jealousy or insecurity at other’s success or happiness then it could be stressful to see it presented so conveniently, but that’s more of a personal issue than an Instagram issue. If you stay in touch with people you’re going to hear about their kids, vacations, new house and new cars eventually anyway.

The real problem I’ve seen is addiction to scrolling through the discover page. I can see all of my friends’ updates on Instagram in 5-10 minutes per day at most. However, someone scrolling the discover page could waste endless hours consuming random content that has nothing to do with their social network.

Re: Instagram lets users hide likes to reduce social media pressure

#128
Any product/platform where the relevant metric to value your interaction with it is engagement has all the incentives to become harmful for you as end user.

We should realize this, and move accordingly, does not matter how much we try to regulate it the incentives always end as harmful.

Re: Instagram lets users hide likes to reduce social media pressure

#129
It was mostly the lack of any usefulness. But one of the other major reasons I deleted my Facebook years ago was that I used to feel disappointed when one of my posts had less comments or likes. I knew it was time to delete that social network.

Children and teenagers could have life altering effects due to constant exposure to such experiences on these sites.

Re: Instagram lets users hide likes to reduce social media pressure

#130
They had disabled showing likes here in Canada for a couple of years it seemed like then I got a message when I opened the app "would you like to see like totals?". Anyways the app is almost completely unusable now with the amount of ads it shows.
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