Instagram Removes the Number of Likes in Canada

Instagram has become a really huge form of social media these past few years. With over 1 billion users, its highly unlikely to not know the significance that instagram has to people. It has been a breeding ground for the growth of businesses, influencers, and artists. Instagram has become a main source of communication between friends,family, and strangers. It has given people the opportunity to bond with others on the other part of the world. 

image I made using illustrator(Illustrator file for this is in comm inbox)

Early In May, Instagram began removing the number of likes that a post gets in Canada as a test. The poster however will be able to see the likes they got but not the number of likes that somebody else gets. This won't necessarily be a permanent feature if all else fails and doesn't reach the expectations of the developers. 

If you look at Instagram posts now, it will only show the profile picture icons of accounts that you follow who liked this post but not the exact number of likes.

I think that removing the number of likes would positively impact the users that are on instagram. This new motive would help viewers focus more on the content and its quality. Nowadays we are usually driven by the number of likes we get on a post and not what it is really about. Although likes determine how much people are interested in the post, the comments will really prove to the influencer on their engagement. 

There is usually some sort of competition when it comes to the number of likes, but with removing the number of likes that would be less occurrent.This would also positively impact people's mental health and their self-image.This new update will hopefully have people compare themselves less between others.  I think it will be refreshing to see people driven by what they actually enjoy and not by the number of likes they get.