What do you like me for?

Photo for representational purpose. Picture Courtesy/iStock

Last week, I received a notification from Instagram to choose to hide the Like count on my posts for my 12K followers, and decide if I wished to see the number of likes on any other user's profile. I chose to take the option. It meant I had lesser opportunity to compare myself to other creators, basis Likes. It also meant that people visiting my profile would hopefully judge me on content and opinion alone. For a platform that works on the validation it provides users via Likes, Comments, Shares, Saves and the blue tick, a move such as this could mean drastic transformation.

In an article published last year, journalist Nic White said that he thought "hiding likes will shift power away from influencers and steer brands back towards paid adverts".

In April 2021, the Facebook-owned video and photo sharing social networking service is said to have launched a "small global test" on the world. When mid-day reached out to the Instagram team, a spokesperson confirmed this: "In 2019, we started hiding Like counts for a small group of people to understand if it lessens some of the pressure when posting to Instagram. Some people found this beneficial but some still wanted to see the count so they could track what's popular. We're testing a new option that lets you decide which experience is best for you - whether that's choosing not to see Like counts on anyone else's posts, turning it off for your own posts, or keeping the original experience as is. We're testing this on Instagram for starters, but we're also exploring a similar experience for Facebook. We will learn from this new test and have more to share soon." In 2019, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri was quoted as saying that the platform wanted users to "spend a bit more time connecting with the people that they care about".

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Shivam, Nikhil Taneja and Nirmika Singh

Back home, here in India, opinions are varied over the shift. Communications expert Karthik Srinivasan, who believes that human behaviour always makes us lean towards the product/person liked or discussed more, says that it may be too soon to judge the move as a right or wrong decision. He does think though, that this could be the true test of content. "But, creators need to share their work. If we don't care about the Likes, wouldn't we be writing in our own diaries? To make more of an impact, maybe Instagram will need to remove the Followers count as well."

Creators, too, are divided in their opinion. Author Shivam, who is also an emotional intelligence life coach, enjoys 15.5k followers. He continues to be perplexed by what works and what doesn't on social media. "The videos that take work and research don't do well. But the basic stuff does. I feel that my growth declines when this happens. If the Likes count vanishes, I can focus on creativity and not think of the validation. In emotional intelligence, we talk about the difference between happiness and pleasure. Pleasure is instant gratification which comes from the Likes. Happiness comes from the act of doing the creative work. If I am offered the option, I will take it."

But, for poet-lyricist Nirmika Singh, who has over 145k followers on Instagram, metrics are a way to gauge interest and see what's working. She also feels that creators, who have the luxury of turning off the Likes count, are those who don't owe their bread and butter to Instagram. "This will be a utopian view - where the Likes don't matter. I don't make my money off Instagram. But for many, it's the way to do it. And, they need to show brands the metrics of the post."

Karthik Srinivasan and Harshad Chavan

Digital experts believe that the move could mean more if brands start focusing on content, rather than how popular an influencer is with followers defined by statistics. It could also lead to the rise of micro influencers, who have fewer followers, but a more organic and intense interaction with their fans. Harshad Chavan, Managing Director of Toast Events, which handles brands like Ok Cupid, Jack and Jones and YouTube, was the first to tell us last year that the micro influencer was here to stay. "We have been pushing real brands to choose real people for their campaigns. This move will equal the playing field for them. Half the time, we don't know if the followers are real or bought. Even if you have a cosy 8k followers, but reach 800 people, it can be more impactful." Chavan says that his team relies on more than just visible metrics when choosing a content maker. "We go back and read comments accompanying their posts. Do brands want to work with influencers who only get comments like, ‘say happy birthday to me', ‘oh your body is lovely'? No. I would be 150 per cent on board with going with influencers whose Like count is not visible! But their interaction is still plain to see."

In the end, whether Instagram wants it or not, it may just reduce the stress that creators experience with regard to reach. As Nikhil Taneja, avid Instagrammer and founder of Yuvaa, a purpose-driven youth media, research and impact organisation, says, "For young people, even Instagram, which was a place where we came to create, has now become an extension of numbers they are asked to get in school and college. I hope this move makes a difference. Life can't just be about numbers." He also feels it will make content hinge greater on credibility and creativity. "It will help spread ‘real' influence, where you are more about the quality of what you say, than the number you flash."

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