Instagram recently tested a new design chage to the photo/video sharing platform that would seemingly do away with showing the like count on posts.
“We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get. During this test, only the person who share a post will see the total number of likes it gets.”
This move is intended to help reduce the current herd mentality that see posts with lots of likes getting even more likes simply for having them already.
It would also help curb the sense of competition on the platform where everyone is trying to out-flex everyone instead of simply posting cool pictures and videos. Instagram hopes this would allow creators to become more authentic instead of fighting for likes.
Instagram acknowledged the design change, but noted that it was only for an internal prototype that isn’t available to the public. Speaking with TechCrunch an Instagram rep noted that “We’re not testing this at the moment, but exploring ways to reduce pressure on Instagram is something we’re always thinking about.”
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