Facebook Inc takes the initiative towards the mental well-being of Facebook and Instagram users

On 26th May, Facebook Inc declared that users of Instagram and Facebook will now have the option of hiding like counts on their posts from the public. This change gives more power in the hands of users to use it as per their interest. So, now before sharing a post, you can choose to hide like counts. 

On Instagram, you can also hide like counts on other posts by visiting the new Posts section in Settings. Once selected, it is applicable for all the posts visible on your page. They have gone one step ahead and given more control by allowing users to turn this setting on and off after sharing the post. These two controls will be rolled out soon for Facebook as well.

Today social media platforms have become so addictive that people continuously check their phone, invest less time in themselves and their relationships, harm their eyes, sleep patterns and waste a lot of time. It also impacts the user’s mental well-being, especially among youngsters. Youngsters see the number of likes as a sign of validation and popularity. It has become the reason for bullying and interpersonal conflict, inferiority complex, and lack of productivity.

This step of Facebook and Instagram acknowledges the impact of these apps on users’ mental well-being. They have taken this step to give users more control and empathize with users on mental health. 

Everybody has not welcomed these upgrades. Some like it, and some don’t, as people use these social media platforms for different reasons.

It won’t impact users with fewer followers. However, marketers and influencers will have to change their strategies.

So far, the number of likes is seen as a metric for gauging influencers’ worth and signs of engagement. It was a strong point for marketers to understand what is in trend and approach influencers. 

With this new change, marketers will have to change how they measure the engagement and gather metrics.

What are people saying?

Evan Asano, the founder of the influencer marketing agency Mediakix, said, “Likes have been the standard of measurement up until now.” “It’s an easy standard to measure engagement.”

Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, said, “The idea is to depressurize Instagram.”

 “We’re trying to reduce anxiety, we’re trying to reduce social comparisons.”

Cognitive neurologist Ofir Turel believes these upgrades could make Instagram a safer environment.

Mike Blake-Crawford, Social Chain’s strategy director, said, “It’s going to separate influencers who have trigger-happy followers … versus the ones who have a real connection with their audience and have the trust element.”

Even though these changes impact businesses, Facebook Inc has prioritized mental well-being, which looks like a responsible step.