Instagram takes HUGE stride towards mental health

Instagram’s CEO Adam Mosseri made an announcement last week that was music to my ears, actually putting mental health above “LIKES.”

Instagram will test “hiding LIKES” in the US because of the pressure it puts on today’s young people.

“We will make decisions that hurt the business if they help people’s well-being and health,” said Mosseri.

Most of you saw my recent post, The Unforeseen Problem with Insta Followers: Why Pedophiles and Sex Traffickers Are Loving Social Media, an article unveiling two “unforeseen” dangers with social media, one of them being the negative effect that those little numbers at the top of the screen (Likes and Followers) are having on today’s young people. In that article I cited a test Instagram was trying in 7 different countries hiding the ‘Likes’ people see. I praised Insta for their reasoning; the test was to create “a less pressurized environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves.” My only wish was that they would test it in the U.S.

And I guess my wish was granted. Because Insta is testing the feature “for some US users” starting last week.

Thanks Insta, and Adam Mosseri! This issue is a HUGE stride towards helping young people’s well being!

And is it at all surprising that celebs like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and a host of other rappers… (not sure why we want the opinion of rappers on the subject of mental health) all objected? (And Kudos to Kim Kardashian West for actually seeing this test as a good thing!)

Time will tell…

MORE LIKE THIS:

Building the Self Esteem of Generation-Screen: When Your Kid Desperately Wants to be “Liked”

Sensible (Bare Minimum) Screen Limits: Reasonable Rules that Won’t Wreck the Relationship

The Unforeseen Problem with Insta-Followers: Why Pedophiles and Sex Traffickers Are Loving Social Media