Social media platforms such as Snapchat or Facebook have begun to remove the “like” feature. Though some may think harshly of the change, the removal of “liking” will create a positive impact in the future.
Social media has had negative effects due to social comparison and pressure on individuals. Social media users (often teenagers) face social pressure or comparison upon posting something new, because if the post doesn’t reach the desired amount of likes or interactions, they feel dissatisfied with the content or even feel like they don’t amount to their peers who may have more likes on their recent post. This seemingly unimportant difference in numbers can also promote ostracization or alienation among students and individuals. For example, one with more likes or followers than another may look down on those with less than them simply due to the fact they don’t receive as much attention or popularity in the algorithm.
The removal of likes will promote more meaningful or authentic engagements to the “creator”. A simple like takes extremely minimal effort, whereas with the removal of likes, it will make the interactor feel more inclined to make more engagements that will feel more special, such as a nicely written comment or response. Likes are created through the click of a button, meanwhile comments and responses come from the person directly.
Removing the like button will also help reduce the negative impact on mental health. Studies have shown that social media can fuel things such as anxiety and depression through dopamine, typically more shown in those in adolescence. Posting things and receiving likes gives bodies a little boost of dopamine, which makes people feel good. However, if the post doesn’t receive as many likes or interactions as desired, many can feel unfulfilled or disappointed in their post or even themselves. This creates fuel for mental health to plummet, often resulting in mental health disorders.
Some can protest that the removal of likes can limit a user’s ability to see how much feedback or popularity gained from the post. But fortunately, limiting the creator’s ability to see their “popularity” will stop users from checking to see if they’ve received enough likes and limit disappointment if they feel unsatiated by the likes they received. Feedback sheerly from likes are extremely inaccurate simply because everyone uses the like function in different ways. Some can like posts but never or rarely physically click the button, while others like everything via the button. Due to this factor, the liking function being known as the primary source of feedback is inconsistent; it is much more reliable to check comments on the post or visibly ask for feedback.
The removal of likes should continue, or at least have the option to toggle the button on or off so the user can tailor their experience to their preferences, just like how a user may toggle comments on and off. Overall, social media companies should follow this direction, for future removal of the like button should only result in positivity as time goes on.
