Photos by Chloe Camille
Instagram has been talking about doing this for quite some time and started testing hiding public likes in Canada in April. They just announced they will be testing this feature in 6 more countries. Now there’s no word it will hit the US any time soon but I honestly think this is an exciting roll out and I’d love to know the response in regard to people’s happiness when using the platform.
As I’ve said time and time again I am a huge advocate for mental health and honestly, oftentimes feel like Instagram is somewhat of a stain on my own. As sad as it is to say, getting those likes and comments on a photo you choose to post does give many of us that validation, and happiness. As a blogger, there is also that competition of how many likes or comments someone else receives as well. As I’ve started to change the focus of my brand and content I’ve really been trying to keep the focus on creating beautiful content that I am proud of rather than worrying about the collab someone else got. The mute and unfollow features on Instagram have truly been a lifesaver at times. I honestly applaud Instagram for taking into consideration the mental health of their users and how this constant comparison of themselves to others and the “Instagram effect” can really be damaging to a person’s happiness. But is not seeing likes enough? Or even the right way to deal with this issue? Could this even be the end of Instagram Influencers?
As a content creator, I definitely rely heavily on like counts and impressions to make money. Brands want to know how many people see and engage with your content. If those metrics disappear and they can’t gauge that themselves then how do they decide whether they will get the ROI they are looking for from a collaboration with that creator? They will have to use other avenues of seeing the connection the creator and their community has with their brand.
This is one of the many reasons I will never give up on my blog and the friendships (you all truly are my friends, not my fans or “community” but my close-knit group of friends I can share and trust everything with.) When others have strayed to social media because it’s easier, sharing my thoughts here on this blog feels sacred, it’s always felt like every Tuesday and Friday I’m getting the opportunity to catch up with my friends about things I’ve done, learned, or liked. This space is my own, no one can take away the conversations I have with all of you and that’s so incredibly rewarding.
My hopes for this new Instagram feature is that the focus comes back to what the platform originally was intended to be, a place for people to share their creativity instantly. I hope that we can step away from the generic content that is focused on what’s going to generate the most likes and come back to what’s truly special about each of us and our creativity. So if you live in any of the countries being tested on I would love to hear your feedback and how it affects how you use Instagram!