Instagram could hide the count of number of likes you get

Would you still be interested in posting pictures on Instagram if no one could see how many people have 'liked' your post? Likes or hearts have been the most basic reason why some put up pictures on Instagram. The validation that comes with showing-off thousands of Likes shores up the self esteem for some and hiding the Like counts could lead to people moving away from the Facebook owned app or post less often.

Leaked screenshots of the new Instagram posted by the tech blogger, Jane Manchun Wong, revealed that the Instagram feed posts no longer show precise Like counts. The screenshot only shows the few names who liked the post and "others".

"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", Instagram has said.

The number of likes would, however, be visible to the person who has shared the post.

In a statement to The Verge, an Instagram spokesperson said, "We're not testing this at the moment, but exploring ways to reduce pressure on Instagram is something we're always thinking about."

Like counts have induced a sense of competition and could sometimes be entirely dispiriting. It has also led to people posting inauthentic posts to grab more attention and Likes. But there is another side to it. Instagram is now also used for building brands and even shopping, and the lack of visibility of the Likes could eventually lead to loss of business. There would be no way for the prospective customer to know the desirability of the product. This could be a big change to the platform and it would be interesting to see the next move of Instagram in this regard.

Instagram is constantly building new features to attract more users to its platform. The app could soon bring stickers for DM's, AR filters for Direct Video calls, shopping bags and post reactions.

Edited By: Udit Verma

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