Last week in Australia, Instagram removed the ability to see the number of likes a post has received. You can see the likes on your own post, but that is all. They’ve done it as a trial, although I imagine it will be rolled-out around the world in time.
The reason they have done it is to try and help the mental health problems that have come about form the social media age and particularly their platform which has been associated as the worst platform for mental health.
I’m sure there must be business reasons for it as well, but if it can stop people developing crazy ideas of what our bodies should look like, twisting body image in people who really are fine, then I think it is a brilliant move.
Just before Instagram made the changes in Australia, singer Amy Sheppard, from the Aussie indie music group Sheppard, posted an Instagram picture of herself in a bikini with “my cellulite on full display” and the hashtag #kissmyfatass. It received almost 40,000 likes and a bucket load of comments thanking her for being real. In response to that Amy wrote a song titled “Kiss My Fat Ass” and the film clip (below) features a number of Aussie celebs in their underwear.
This isn’t my favourite Sheppard song (and I usually love their music) but I do love what the song is about and represents.
No-one is ever happy in their skin, but I think we need to do more to change the way we look at ourselves. #loveyourself
July 26, 2019 at 8:33 pm
We have had this feature for about a month or so already in Canada and I do like it. I think it will help those growing up in the digital age to stop their addiction to social media and the constant need to be validated through the use of likes, and comparing themselves to someone else who has more likes. The addiction is growing and this is a good first step to break it. I should have listened to the song before I started writing this comment but I’m going to post and go back and listen 🙂 Even so, it’s a great thing for celebrities to be using their popularity to address issues like this. Like that one from the US who is showing what life is really like after giving birth.
July 27, 2019 at 9:23 am
Yeah, I think it was introduced in Canada and New Zealand first, and then a couple of weeks later here. I hope it does help younger people to stop associating likes with validation. They are worth so much more than that, but they just can’t see it.
July 26, 2019 at 8:47 pm
I can’t imagine what it must be like to grow up in the world of social media. I only had to worry about being judged by people who met me in the real world.
I’m glad musicians and celebrities are speaking out. I hope their voices drown out the ones promoting the thigh gap, hip dip, and other nonsense.
Deb
July 27, 2019 at 9:24 am
Exactly, Deb. And when you went home from school all that was left behind. Now young people can’t escape it. The trouble with celebrities is that there are just as many creating the problem as there are those trying to fight it.
July 29, 2019 at 8:34 am
I don’t notice the number of likes on something. As someone who has maybe a dozen followers on Instagram, I’ve learned not to care about things like that. It’s something that’ll be hard for the youngsters to learn.
July 30, 2019 at 9:55 am
Yeah, I’ve never cared either. That’s the difference I guess between those of us who haven’t grown up with social media and those who have. If that’s what is validating you as a teen it would be very hard not to get caught up with the numbers.
August 3, 2019 at 12:45 pm
I’m so grateful to have grown up before the age of social media. The obsession over likes and follows must be exhausting. This change in Instagram sounds like a step toward common sense…if such a thing exists 🙂
August 3, 2019 at 8:26 pm
Growing up without social media is something I’m also very happy about. I would hate to have to navigate those waters as a teen.