Instagram will launch a new test today near the number of likes in users’ posts after its first test in this region, starting in 2019. However, Instagram is not enabling or disabling the feature for more users. Instead, it will start looking for a new option where users will decide what works best for them – whether or not to choose like counts on someone else’s post.
If users choose them, they will be able to turn off like counts in their own posts. Facebook has additionally confirmed that it will begin testing similar experiences on its own social networks. Instagram says tests involving like counts discontinued after the Kovid-19 hit, as the company focused on other efforts needed to support its community. (Except for the brief time this March where Instagram accidentally hid preferences for more users due to errors.)
The company said it is now reviewing the feedback collected from users during the test and has received a variety of feedback. Originally, the idea of hiding like counts was to reduce the anxiety and embarrassment surrounding posting written content on social networks. This is to make sure that people get enough likes to make their post “popular”.
This problem was especially difficult for younger users of Instagram, who care more about what their peers think – so much so that they will remove posts that don’t get “enough” likes. Moreover, the removal of preferences helps to pick out the animal mentality that leads people to choose already popular things, as opposed to judging the content themselves.
However, during the test, everyone likes that it is better to remove the choices. Some people said they still want to see like counts so they can track what is trending and popular. The logic of placing likes was prevalent in the influential community, where manufacturers used metrics to convey their value to partners, such as brands and advertisers. Here, lower engagement rates in posts can directly translate these creators into lower incomes. There are arguments for and against both likes, which is why Instagram’s latest test will leave users with the choice in their own hands. The new test will enable a small percentage of users worldwide on Instagram, the company said.
