A recent uproar in the social media community is Instagram removing likes, since that’s the way we knew Instagram way back to our middle school days. If you’re an old-school Instagrammer before the colorful revamp, this could have been heartbreaking news. As usual, people are resistant to change but I think this modification to Instagram could cause a positive turn in our social media behavior. I have friends who would turn to me and ask “Are my teeth too yellow to post this?” or “Should I delete my Instagram since I don’t post frequently?” But would they be asking these questions if they no longer had the public pressure of keeping up with our digital display of perfection?
People would stop worrying about what others want to see about them, what others may “like” and just post as much or as little as they please. You don’t need the validation of others to display yourself on your personal creative platform.
Before VSCO turned into a TikTok phenomenon, it was seen as a “place for the girls.”. A place where you could just post the photos that made you feel good and only you could see the reactions. No one knows how many favorites, republishes, and the follower to following ratio you have. Personally, I would always pick one best photo of mine for my Instagram but could post a numerous from one event on VSCO including the more casual ones I loved. The removal of likes on Instagram could make Instagram casual again! Maybe not as casual as those 7th grade kissy face selfies, though ;)