New Data from The Manifest Says Most People Don’t Actually Care About Instagram Removing “Like” Counts

Instagram Announced That It Will Start Hiding like Counts for US Users. Celebrities and Influencers Have Spoken out About the Decision, Expressing Discontent or Approval. Most People, However, Don’t Really Care About the Platform’s Decision

Most people don’t care if Instagram users can see likes, suggests a new survey from The Manifest, a business news and how-to website. Media coverage so far highlights opinions from those in the spotlight, but what about the average user?

A survey of 502 Americans found that more than half (55%) don’t have an opinion on Instagram’s decision to hide like counts from posts.

“For everyday users, it’ll probably have little impact aside from some egos being hurt,” said Michael Anderson, a marketing specialist at GeoJango Maps.

One-in-Five People Support Decision to Hide Likes on Instagram

Twenty percent (20%) of people agree with Instagram’s decision to ditch likes.

Supporters of the decision hope that the removal of likes will reduce the self-esteem and anxiety issues that are linked to the validation likes offer.

“My young adult daughter recently commented that each of her Instagram posts is surrounded by so much angst, that she hardly ever posts anymore,” said Vered DeLeeuw, a healthy food blogger.

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Even some influencers are supportive of the platform’s choice to go like-less. Influencer Amber Faust, for example, says she looks forward to the change.

“I miss posting things I love and care about that just don’t bring in the likes that my other photos bring in,” Faust said. “I think it will bring instagram back to its roots [and] help make the platform more authentic.”

One-in-Four People Disagree With the Decision to Hide Likes

People who do have an opinion, however, are more likely to disagree than agree.

One-in-four people (25%) oppose the decision. Dissenters express a variety of reasons behind their discontent, including uncertainty about what this means for businesses. They are also skeptical about Instagram’s motivation to keep the focus of the platform more on the content and less about popularity contests.

John Frigo, Influencer Manager at MySupplementStore, questions how this decision will help users’ self-esteem because they’ll still be able to see their own likes.

“If you post something and get one like, you’ll still know you got one like, and you can still be depressed about it,” Frigo said.

However, he doesn’t think that the decision will disrupt the influencer industry much.

“Likes were always a poor indicator of an influencer I’d want to work with anyway,” Frigo said. “Comments are a much better sign of engagement.”

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Most People Aren’t Concerned With Instagram’s Decision to Hide Likes

Those who agree with removing likes hope that it will reduce mental health concerns associated with social media.

Those who disagree with removing likes may question why the platform isn’t doing more. People can still face cyberbullying and self-esteem issues from comments and messages.

Most people, however, remain neutral on the decision to hide likes, suggesting that the decision doesn’t have a real impact on their lives.

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