To Like or Not to Like...
“We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get,” Instagram says in one of the screenshots from Wong. “During this test, only the person who shares a post will see the total number of likes it gets.”
One thing that I think many adults take for granted is the impact that social media has on young adults. One thing that I strive to do is improve children’s self-esteem through their photos. What is really terrible is when someone loves her/his photo, then the photo only gets one or two likes. Then, we start to pick ourselves apart, OMG, why doesn’t anyone like this post?! Am I not funny? Am I annoying? I LOOK LIKE CRAP!! AHHHH!!!
I think it has more of an impact of kids, but adults have the same issues. We just have the luxury of not being in environments where it is used against us like it is at school for kids.
Who hasn’t done something like this….? I mean…if you share a picture of your nephew eating peas for the first time, and you think it is the cutest thing EVER but no one else likes the photo, don’t even tell me there isn’t a little voice inside of you that is thinking, “What is wrong with my friends? THIS IS THE CUTEST!! WHY ARE YOU NOT LIKING MY PICTURE?!”
Truth is, I post content all the time. I have that voice inside that tells me that I am terrible if it doesn’t get a certain amount of likes. It is really a backwards way of telling yourself that you aren’t good enough even if that isn’t the case whatsoever! On the other hand, I will see posts with hundreds of likes, and it makes me start drawing comparisons to other people, then I want to quit what I am doing and hide in the corner…it is whacktastic.
I have had people mention my posts to me when I see them in person and how much they liked a photo or a gallery I have shared, and I think to myself, “But, you didn’t like the post…how is that possible?” BUT…epiphany…they DID like the post! In real life! THEY LIKED IT! But, if I hadn’t seen them in person, I wouldn’t have known, and I would have thought everyone hated it and I am dumb. “Like” counts have this weird effect on people who already have self-esteem issues (I am one of those people). If you aren’t bothered by them, I think you are cooler than me.
I am all for getting rid of the like counts. Comments, on the other hand, I would have a problem with because I absolutely love, love, love when I post someone’s gallery and people gush about how cute their family and/or children are and commenting on how much they have grown, etc. That shows me that my work is doing what it is meant to do! :)
P.S. FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM! :P www.instagram.com/finkanie :) :) :)
Read on about this further at : http://fortune.com/2019/05/01/twitter-instagram-facebook-like-button/