Scroller, Beware: Is the Latest Instagram Update Harming Your Mental Well-being?

In 2019, Instagram introduced the option to hide the number of likes on posts. We want people to worry less about how many likes they are getting and spend more time connecting with the people they care about.

This decision followed a wave of scientific studies revealing the detrimental impact of social media on our mental well-being. Usage of social media has been linked to decreased self-esteem and the potential development of eating disorders.

Seeking engagement, such as likes, comments, and shares, which serves as a crucial form of validation for most social media users, can be particularly harmful or triggering for young women. (That being said, social media also has its merits, including helping individuals find a sense of community when they feel isolated. \

The recent update seems like a significant regression in the effort to alleviate the pressures associated with social media. A Meta revealed, "We recently launched share counts on feed posts and hope this is a helpful measure in understanding what resonates with others using Instagram. This change aligns with the approach to how reels are displayed and will soon be implemented globally.

However, the Meta noted that akin to the 2019 option to hide likes, users can elect to hide shares by accessing their Instagram settings, clicking or tapping "Like and share counts" (under the "What you see" section), and selecting "Hide like share and share counts."

If Meta is committed to advancing their digital well-being initiatives (bearing in mind they have an entire site dedicated to this cause), introducing additional data related to the "success" of a post does not seem aligned with this objective.