Facebook, Instagram now let users hide ‘likes’ on posts
Facebook and Instagram users who feel shy about not having a million likes on their posts will now be able to hide those numbers, the Mark Zuckerberg-run platforms announced on Wednesday.
In a blog post, Facebook announced that “everyone on Instagram and Facebook will now have the option to hide their public like counts, so they can decide what works for them.”
The move to allow users to hide their likes comes after months of testing hiding like counts “to see if it might depressurize people’s experience on Instagram.”
The company says it found that some people did not like seeing like counts, while others found them annoying “particularly because people use like counts to get a sense of what’s trending or popular.”
Likes and shares on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms have served as a gauge for clout-chasing users to be able to shape their opinions and regurgitate views deemed “popular” to other users on social media.
Facebook explained that users can hide the like counters as well as hide like counts on other people’s posts so they don’t feel pressured to look at how well other people’s content is doing.
The company will provide users with the option to hide counters before their posts go live, as well as afterwards, should they change their mind.
“What one person wants from their Instagram experience is different from the next, and people’s needs are changing. We’ve been working closely with third-party experts to better understand how to empower people, build self-awareness and shape a more positive experience on Instagram,” Facebook stated.
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