Social media has cemented itself into our daily lives.
But is the like button actually a good thing?
Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have likes, Reddit has upvotes, and Snapchat has favorites.
But what value do they add to these sites?
Each platform that recommends and filters content, like Instagram and YouTube, relies on an algorithm.
The algorithm needs your likes, so it knows what to show you.
The more you like, the better suggestions you get.
That’s one of the best things about TikTok, for example.
It curates your For You Page (FYP) based on what you enjoy viewing.
If you love DIY and dog content, eventually, your feed and recommendations will reflect that.
But as you view and like, youcurate your FYP on TikTok.
YouTube works the same way, as do most other social media platforms.
Without having the ability to like posts you enjoy, how will the algorithms work?
How will they personalize your experience?
That, in turn, will lead to more eyes and likes, and on it goes.
Positive Feedback for Good Content
Likes are good for your confidence.
Whatever you share of yourself online, you feel good about it when it gets likes.
Regardless of the content you post, likes can give you a confidence boost.
Seeing people resonate with what you posted is a pretty great feeling.
To see it’s not as well-received as you’d hoped may lead to low self-esteem.
It can cause doubts about your self-worth and generally get you down.
Related:Is Instagram Doing Enough to Protect Users Mental Health?
you might feel anxiety when postingwill people like it?
Is it even worth sharing?
What if no one likes it?
Removing the like button altogether can remove the stress associated with posting.
There will be no pressure to curate your posts.
Bot Likes Won’t Rig Recommendations
Removing likes will remove the power that likes have.
That, in turn, will negate the motivation to falsely inflate like numbers by buying bot engagement.
It’s a persistent rumor that many social media creators have dabbled in buying likes.
As already established, likes help push your content.
It stops mattering whether what you’re posting is good.
You’d have bought the quantity to ensure that.
Removing the like button removes that whole side of social mediano more bad actors buying their engagement.
That leads to negative comparisons.
Having no more likes visible under a post is a great equalizer.
It’s helpful, but it can also be harmful.
But what if it doesn’t have to be that way?
Today, many platforms are playing with the idea of giving their users the option to hide likes.
But, of course, those who care for them are free to keep them visible.
Choice is always a good thing.
For some users they’re essential.
For others, they negatively impact their experience.
Letting users opt into whether they see like counts seems to be a good compromise.
