We’re all guilty of it!
At one point or another, we have all obsessively stalked someone’s Instagram likes to keep tabs on what they’re up to and what types of posts are getting the most attention. Whether we’re looking to see if the person we’re dating is liking someone else’s selfies, or worrying about how many likes our posts are getting compared to others, we’re letting social media dictate how we view ourselves. We can’t help but feel a rush every time we refresh our feeds, waiting to see who has liked our latest post.
Our generation has put such a strong significance on something as mindless as a quick double-tap, that we haven’t stopped to evaluate how this is affecting our mental health. In an effort to minimize this behavior, Instagram is piloting a new feature that will remove the like count from posts.
In a society that places such a strong value on Instagram models and influencers, it’s become hard not to use the like count as a measure to validate ourselves and boost our self-esteem. Our views of ourselves can quickly become distorted by the use of apps that allow us to either edit out our flaws or enhance our more favorable features. We’re able to completely transform a picture to share a perfect version of ourselves to maximize our likes, but at what cost? Somewhere along the way, between Photoshop and Facetune, we lose the authenticity of the moments captured in our photos in the hopes of curating the best content.
By removing the like count, Instagram is hoping users will revert back to sharing more authentic and personal posts with their followers, à la Khloe Kardashian filling her feed with inspirational quotes throughout every Tristan Thompson scandal.
Social media has proven to be a great outlet for self-expression, increased communication, and activism. It has given our generation an outlet to express our creativity and gives us a platform to share our opinions, however, every silver lining has its cloud.
My mental health was at its worst immediately after I graduated from college in 2016. I went from thinking I had it all together at just 22, to having everything blow up in my face all at once. I moved back home with my parents while simultaneously going through my first heartbreak and trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with my degree. During this time I noticed my view of social media drastically changed, and I found myself being more critical of myself as I saw my friends hitting different life milestones while I was feeling stuck trying to figure out what my next step would be. With every post about someone landing their dream job, or getting engaged to their college boyfriends, I couldn’t help but question why I wasn’t there yet.
A few years and a quarter-life crisis later, I can finally say I am not only in a better mindset, but I have also stopped letting social media affect how I view myself. I am no longer comparing my timeline to what other people my age are doing. While I would like to think it’s because I stopped obsessively checking my news feed and likes, a lot of it has to do with my realization that I don’t need the validation of others. For a long time, I put my own happiness in the hands of others. I was trying to be the best version of myself for someone else. A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders after I started prioritizing my mental health over worrying about how others perceived my social media persona.
Many studies have found a strong connection between social media platforms and mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and social isolation.
Instagram believes these issues will be minimized if users aren’t feeling the pressure to post something for engagement. While I think this is putting us in the right direction, there are still so many other ways the platform can impact our mental health because it will not stop us from comparing ourselves to others. Although Instagram may not be able to change how their platform impacts our mental health on its own, I think this could be the first step towards a new social media culture.
