In Case You Haven't Heard…

Abstract

Facebook is touting its latest feature, which will allow Facebook and Instagram users to hide like counts on posts, as a move that aims to “depressurize” people's experiences on its platforms. The change comes amid ongoing concern about the potentially harmful mental health effects of social media, The Washington Post reported May 28. But although the action may be a positive step, many experts say it isn't likely to have much effect on the lower levels of psychological well‐being seen in some users. “This is not a panacea,” said Sophia Choukas‐Bradley, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Delaware who studies the effect of social media on adolescents. “It may be a step in the right direction for some people, but I do not believe this will be a majorly transformative change.” The change, which the tech giant announced May 26, after almost two years of testing, gives users choices regarding likes on posts. They can hide the number of likes on other people's posts that appear on their feeds, and they can also hide the like counts on their own posts (though they will still be able to see how many likes they've gotten with one click). Facebook is promoting the change as a matter of “giving people more control.”