An Instagram Without “Likes”?

Like many of his peers, Zedrick McCall has worried about the sting of online rejection: If one of his posts on Instagram fails to attract many fans, “it kind of makes you feel you’re not liked, or that your content isn’t worth liking,” says the senior at Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, Alabama.

Hundreds of millions of users worldwide have flocked to Instagram, in part to experience the rush of having their photos or videos publicly liked by more and more people. But amid a growing concern that the thirst for digital acceptance may be fueling anxiety and depression, particularly in young people, Instagram is considering upending one of its most prominent features: In a preliminary test that began in November with some American users, the social media company is hiding the like counts that usually appear beneath people’s posts. The new interface has already been tested in seven other countries, including Canada, Brazil, and Japan.

“We don’t want Instagram to feel like a competition,” Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said last spring. “We want people to worry a little less about how many likes they’re getting on Instagram and spend a bit more time connecting with the people they care about.”

Like many of his peers, Zedrick McCall has worried about online rejection. He’s experienced how it feels when a post on Instagram doesn’t get much attention. “It kind of makes you feel you’re not liked, or that your content isn’t worth liking,” says the senior at Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, Alabama.

Hundreds of millions of users worldwide have flocked to Instagram. The rush of having photos or videos publicly liked by more and more people is part of the platform’s appeal. But there have been growing concerns about the thirst for digital acceptance. In fact, this desire may be fueling anxiety and depression, particularly in young people. As a result, Instagram is considering upending one of its most prominent features. The social media company is hiding the like counts that usually appear under people’s posts. They kicked things off with a test run with some American users in November. The new format has already been tested in seven other countries, including Canada, Brazil, and Japan.

“We don’t want Instagram to feel like a competition,” Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said last spring. “We want people to worry a little less about how many likes they’re getting on Instagram and spend a bit more time connecting with the people they care about.”

Most social media apps are built on a system of “popularity metrics,” indicators such as the number of likes, friends, or followers that attest to the success of a post or a user. But experts say that while likes can produce an immediate thrill, they can also ratchet up competitive pressure among peers, which in turn can lead to psychological distress and low self-esteem. More and more users have complained of stress and anxiety related to the feedback they receive on social media, spurring debate in the tech industry over how apps make people feel.

Teens, the age group that relies most on social media to forge social connections, are especially vulnerable. A study published last year by the American Psychological Association found that mental health problems have risen significantly among young people in the U.S. In the past decade, the number of people reporting symptoms of depression increased 52 percent among 12- to 17-year-olds and 63 percent among 18- to 25-year-olds. Experts say that protracted time spent on social media and electronic communication may be a factor.

Most social media apps are built on a system of “popularity metrics.” The success of a post or a user is measured by indicators such as the number of likes, friends, or followers. But experts say that while likes can produce a quick thrill, they can also promote competition among peers. That pressure can lead to psychological distress and low self-esteem. More and more users have complained of stress and anxiety related to the feedback they receive on social media. That’s spurred debate in the tech industry over how apps make people feel.

Teens are the age group that relies most on social media to build social connections. And that makes them especially vulnerable. A study published last year by the American Psychological Association found that mental health problems have risen significantly among young people in the U.S. In the past decade, the number of people reporting symptoms of depression increased 52 percent among 12- to 17-year-olds. That figure increased 63 percent among 18- to 25-year-olds. Experts say that long periods of social media use and electronic communication may be a factor.

“We know that kids seek validation via the Like button. We know that it can negatively affect kids’ and teenagers’ self-esteem,” says Jim Steyer, chief executive of Common Sense Media, a media watchdog group. “The public is finally waking up to how many of these tactics can be manipulative.”

With Instagram’s new settings, the originator of a post continues to see the number of likes that a photo or video receives, but the tally is no longer made public. (Instagram declined to disclose how many U.S. users are part of the test group.) Other companies are experimenting with similar approaches: In September, Facebook, which owns Instagram, said it was starting a test in Australia that would hide people’s likes, video view counts, and other metrics from other users; and last summer YouTube, owned by Google, began rounding the public subscriber counts for channels with more than 1,000 subscribers, so YouTubers don’t obsess over every subscriber.

“We hope this helps all creators focus on telling their story, and experience less pressure about the numbers,” reads a statement on YouTube’s website.

“We know that kids seek validation via the Like button. We know that it can negatively affect kids’ and teenagers’ self-esteem,” says Jim Steyer, chief executive of Common Sense Media, a media watchdog group. “The public is finally waking up to how many of these tactics can be manipulative.”

With Instagram’s new settings, the originator of a post continues to see the number of likes that a photo or video receives. But the tally is no longer made public. Instagram declined to disclose how many U.S. users are part of the test group. Other companies are experimenting with similar approaches. That includes Facebook, which owns Instagram. In September, the company said it was starting a test in Australia that would hide people’s likes, video view counts, and other metrics from other users. And last summer, YouTube, owned by Google, joined the mix. It began rounding the public subscriber counts for channels with more than 1,000 subscribers. The company put this change in place so that YouTubers don’t obsess over every subscriber.

“We hope this helps all creators focus on telling their story, and experience less pressure about the numbers,” reads a statement on YouTube’s website.

Some users have praised Instagram’s decision to test a platform without public likes.

“It causes me anxiety to think about going on Instagram and seeing other people having more likes than me,” says Maggie Capson, a freshman at McGill University in Canada, the first country where the new settings were tested. “It’s a constant reminder that I’m not good enough, that I can’t get that same number of likes no matter what I post.”

But not everyone is on board. Some think it will drive users away from Instagram. That’s especially worrisome to influencers who rely on likes to secure endorsement deals and to celebrities who use Instagram to build a fan base.

“I’m not posting on IG after this week cuz they removing the likes,” Nicki Minaj tweeted in November. (She didn’t follow through, however, and has continued posting.) And Cardi B pointed to negative comments, rather than low like counts, as having a greater impact on self-esteem.

Instagram’s CEO seems unswayed by arguments against removing likes.

“We’re going to put a 15-year-old kid’s interests before a public speaker’s,” Mosseri said.

For now, Instagram hasn’t said whether it’ll permanently remove public likes from all accounts. Some people doubt social media sites will flourish without likes feeding the public’s desire for approval.

“Certain people post on Instagram for likes,” says McCall, the Alabama senior. “That’s what keeps the self-esteem high, that’s what keeps people motivated [to post].”

Others say the change would be for the better. Marissa Deeter, a junior at Newton High School in Pleasant Hill, Ohio, thinks more people would want to post without fear of being judged or ranked.

“I think it would be a positive change,” she says, “just because it lets people be who they want to be.”

Some users have praised Instagram’s decision to test a platform without public likes.

“It causes me anxiety to think about going on Instagram and seeing other people having more likes than me,” says Maggie Capson, a freshman at McGill University in Canada, the first country where the new settings were tested. “It’s a constant reminder that I’m not good enough, that I can’t get that same number of likes no matter what I post.”

But not everyone is on board. Some think it will drive users away from Instagram. Influencers who rely on likes to secure endorsement deals and celebrities who use Instagram to build a fan base are especially worried.

“I’m not posting on IG after this week cuz they removing the likes,” Nicki Minaj tweeted in November. But she didn’t follow through and has continued posting. And Cardi B pointed to negative comments, rather than low like counts, as having a greater impact on self-esteem.

Instagram’s CEO seems unswayed by arguments against removing likes.

“We’re going to put a 15-year-old kid’s interests before a public speaker’s,” Mosseri said.

For now, Instagram hasn’t said whether it’ll permanently remove public likes from all accounts. Some people doubt social media sites will do well without likes feeding the public’s desire for approval.

“Certain people post on Instagram for likes,” says McCall, the Alabama senior. “That’s what keeps the self-esteem high, that’s what keeps people motivated [to post].”

Others say the change would be for the better. That includes Marissa Deeter, a junior at Newton High School in Pleasant Hill, Ohio. She thinks more people would want to post without fear of being judged or ranked.

“I think it would be a positive change,” she says, “just because it lets people be who they want to be.”