Social media is inherently narcissistic. There are no two-ways about it. It’s an attention eating machine built on the principle that humans constantly seek validation, packaged up in shiny platforms that have entered the collective social constructs of the developed world. The validation is what fuels the fire. So, when there are constructs that remove part of the system of validation you would think the platforms are cannibalising themselves right?

The dust is beginning to settle on the surprise announcement that Instagram was no longer going to showcase “Likes” on people’s profiles. It’s still in test stages in only a select few markets, but word is the change may be here to stay as long as advertising profit margins aren’t seriously affected, and that other platforms are watching to see the results before following suit. Since the move what has changed, or has anything changed at all?

The move was mooted to combat mental health issues arising from the rose-tinted lens of social media lives. We’re all for it. Any move that benefits mental health is a good one, irrespective of size or grandeur. However, something about this gesture doesn’t sit well, like it’s a magician’s sleight of hand – making you look one way when you should be focussed on the other. If Facebook (parent company to Instagram) was serious about tackling the issue, then why not remove the “Like” feature altogether? Or take a leaf from dating apps that are moving to eliminate edited or altered photos from its stream. Well, revenue, that’s why. The “Like” or “Love” button is still part of the advertising revenue stream machine that the platform sells and Instagram wouldn’t have survived without the easy to use photo filter system.

Eyebrows were raised by numerous influencers across the globe who cited the likes as part of their livelihood. So with the latest test, has the sun set on influencer marketing as we’ve come to know it? Doubtful, but this is due to the laziness of brands and agencies, and a constant misinterpretation of the meaning of the word “influence”. For those who rely on brands giving them money to talk about products or services, the move merely means they have one more step to prove to the managers and agencies their value metrics – much like a Snapchat story’s worth has to be proven to be accepted. The argument is that it will push the influencer market into becoming more creative with their approach, to generate truly great content, and laser-focused marketing to generate truly engaged audiences – but that argument holds as much weight as Trump saying his tan is natural. In fact, it has actually made it easier for some to further exaggerate their measure of influence – with the lazy brands unable to “check” for themselves off the cuff.

Also, if you’re valuing your content, social strategy and campaign success on the amount of “Likes” it received then kindly hop into the nearest available time machine and head back a decade when it was a partially viable measure for success. Harking back to the days when “likes, shares and comments” were valued the exact same even though the behavioural analysis behind each is completely different. The “AVE” of digital marketing, or “bollocks” in layman’s terms.

Has the removal of visible likes removed the mental stress attributed to their existence? I’d still argue no. How could it? It’s still there. Those who compared themselves to others based on social media interaction can still do it. You can still click in to see who has liked a post, and technically, count them. Those who took down posts because they didn’t get the interactions they craved will still do so.

So why the move by Instagram then? To temper the influencer market it harbours? To deter people from projecting untrue versions of themselves? Unfortunately, Instagram is the victim here. It created a platform that perfectly enabled people to share beautiful pictures, videos and moments in their lives that they valued and wanted to share. It did it so well that the narcissist in all of us filtered away to the collective detriment of mental health around the world. Instagram is not to blame, we are, all of us. The move from Instagram is a positive one, a welcome change from a brand being backed into a corner, but it’s not the root of the problem.

-          GC