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Instagram, 'hiding likes', and well-being

ended 27. May 2021

Need quick views from psychologists, social media and well-being experts for the Metro on why Instagram and Facebook's new ‘hide likes’ buttons will help us take back control of our well-being and mental health.

Social media has been wrecking havoc on our mental health, but the new features will allows users to hide likes on their posts and on other people's posts. 

Deadline is tight so 1-2 soundbites is enough! 

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3 responses from the Newspage community

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Hattie Shaw
Marketing Manager at BEAR
"Influence is a powerful thing in many areas, including food, coffee and social media. "'Likes' on social media can subconsciously influence how we engage with a piece of content, when the sole motivator should be your own opinion, not the opinion of the crowd. "Taking ownership of how we engage with Instagram content gives power back to the user by removing external influence. "To give a loose analogy... a busy restaurant will always attract more people, whereas a quiet one might actually be a hidden gem. If you were to just look at each restaurant's menu and make your decision to visit without being influenced by how 'busy' it appears, you're making that decision on your own merit, not on someone else's. The same could be said for social media. It's a great move."
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Helen Llewellyn
Director at Infinity Wellbeing
"Hurrah, no more bending ourselves into metaphorical pretzels. The new 'hide like' option gives us our authenticity and privacy back. "Competing for likes or adjusting your opinion and view depending on what you think will get the most likes was warping our mental health."
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Amy Lainchbury
Social Media Expert at Tasty Comms
"I've had mixed alert_responses from clients on 'hide likes'. Some want to keep the likes visible as social proof, almost public credibility for their brand each time we post, whereas others are all for hiding them to help change the conversation around what's valued in social media. "I think brands hiding likes will encourage it in general, and make social less about competing and more about community."