Instagram is going to start hiding the number of likes from some users’ posts.
The change is designed to focus people’s attention on a piece of content, rather than how many likes it has received.
This update will be tested on a selected group of users first before potentially being rolled out across the world.
People involved in the trial will still be able to see their own like count, but it won’t be visible to anyone who views their posts.
‘Later this week, we’re running a test in Canada that removes the total number of likes on photos and video views in Feed, Permalink pages and Profile,’ Instagram said in a statement.
‘We are testing this because we want your followers to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get.’
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Earlier this year, we revealed that influencers were getting therapy to cope with the stresses of being on Instagram.
The burden of keeping up with Instagram often has a powerful effect on its most prominent users. Earlier this year superstar Zoella said she was ‘suffocated’ by the pressure.
In 2017, a survey suggested Instagram was the worst social media site in terms of its impact on the mental health of young people.
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) report said: ‘The platforms that are supposed to help young people connect with each other may actually be fuelling a mental health crisis.’
It recommended the introduction of pop-ups on social media sites warning users about heavy usage and discreetly signposting help to those potentially suffering from mental health issues.
Shirley Cramer CBE, chief executive of the RSPH, said: ‘Social media has been described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol, and is now so entrenched in the lives of young people that it is no longer possible to ignore it when talking about young people’s mental health issues.
‘As the evidence grows that there may be potential harms from heavy use of social media, and as we upgrade the status of mental health within society, it is important that we have checks and balances in place to make social media less of a wild west when it comes to young people’s mental health and wellbeing.’
