Instagram with no ‘likes’ is like a burger without fries; New York City without angry pedestrians; Kim Kardashian without contour; I think you get the point: Instagram fundamentally became the app we all know, love, and maybe even hate because of its signature ‘likes’ employed by users’ fans. An Instagram—or world for that matter—without seamlessly double-tapping is simply unimaginable. However, in the presence of social anxiety, found mostly in teens, a result of obsessing over the quantity of ‘likes’ we have lost the true essence of what Instagram once stood for.
Over the past 6 months Instagram has been removing ‘likes’ in over 5 countries... and the US is next. Instagram revealed this week that in the coming weeks and months they will eradicate notorious ‘likes’ so you, the creator, will only be able to see your ‘likes’. When I first heard about this, if I am being completely honest, I was scared. What does this mean for influencers who have made lucrative careers based off of thousands and millions of ‘likes’? Perhaps this inevitable and inexplicable change is good. Hear me out: I mean, this feature could hit me and fellow creator’s businesses the hardest. I know what is at stake.
This past Friday I attended Instagram’s “Instagram IRL” Summit at Facebook Head Quarters and I got to make my own Story gifs (which possibly was the best part; cue my Nancy Pelosi clapping gif which I will be using in all future condemnations on Trump administration policies.) But when we weren’t making moving images, we heard from Eva Chen, head of Fashion Partnerships and inventor of the viral #EvaChenPose, herself on her experience of a life without fries with her burger—and now I am hooked.
I got an Instagram account in fifth grade and before entering the world of influencing, if you will, I was always consumed with the amount of ‘likes’ I received on my posts. Was my post not cool enough? Creative enough? Do I not look good? Maybe I am not skinny enough? We, Gen-Zers and Millenials, have asked ourselves these negative questions when being absorbed by the dark rabbit-hole that is social media. While growing up with a digital presence, and the subsequent bullying online and offline that followed, I could only help but wonder what my life would be like without checking if my friends, crushes, and followers ‘liked’ my posts—posts that I poured my heart and soul into creating.
Beyond the societal implications and effects of a virtual popularity contest, removing ‘likes’ will only strengthen and empower digital content-creators in the years to come. As angsty teens and trendy influencers alike analyze ‘likes’ in the same destructive manner, the removal of ‘likes’ will encourage a surge of creativity on the platform. A return to the normalcy that Instagram once stood for, snapshots of one’s real life, a glimpse into gritty workadays and twilight trysts.
Supermodel Karlie Kloss, a panelist at the “Instagram IRL” Summit, is a living testament to the essence of the early ages of Instagram. Kloss reminisced of days on set, at the ripe age of 15, sharing exciting endeavors with family and friends back home (in Missouri) who did not have the chance to experience the day-to-day of modeling in the Big Apple. Kloss would post pictures of a cup with her name doodled on it by makeup artists while capturing back stage videos of getting ready. Kloss marveled at the life that she created for herself; she essentially recorded a quirky yet equally glamorous visual diary of her life on and off the catwalk.
A removal of ‘likes’ would incentivize creators to focus on their content instead of simply posting what they would deem would get the most likes. I even often found myself not posting content I personally enjoyed in spite of the lack of prospective ‘likes’. Instagram would, once again, become a platform for a body of inspiration not body dysmorphia.
You might be thinking that no one will care anymore about your posts even when artistry and realism soars. How about this: have you ever caught yourself simply ‘liking’ or ‘un-liking’ a post because of who did or did not ‘like’ that post? Forget that. You can now like posts that you inherently enjoy. Perhaps this would increase one’s overall engagement by having one’s audience engage with what they actually like. An absence of artificial ‘likes’ could even result in a spike in comments, and other metrics of engagement, which hold more weight than ‘likes’.
Furthermore, these practices can aid influencers in not only establishing an authentic creative presence but also an authentic audience. Stories and IGTV, and other synonymous features, hold more weight than ever as utilizing such features increase your chances in having your posts seen simultaneously across the platform (despite the ambiguous murkiness caused by the algorithm). This encourages users to be creative with new features, as previously mentioned, but also is integral when presenting meaningful and fresh analytics to brand partners.
How many people are viewing, sending, saving, and commenting on your post? This is what matters: authentic metrics of engagement. Brands want to see influencers tell a story. Concurrently, this strategic storytelling will have followers waiting on the edge of their seats, biting their fingernails, eagerly awaiting the next chapter of unfiltered content—unfiltered you. A fresh perspective on content-creation is pure potential in every possible facet.
From iPhone 5 to iPhone 11+; from print magazines to online editorials; from Vine to TikTok; from mySpace to Snapchat; What is the next chapter for Instagram? As we are constantly evolving in the digital space, inspiring creators from all walks of life to transform the once exclusive fashion world, we must ask ourselves what is next? Will you ride the returning artistic wave or will you drown in the attenuation of old ways? If we can’t change how we grow with our audience and content—the way we produce, share, and consume content—are we truly meant to be the influential content-creators we pride ourselves on being?
