Note: This letter was originally published in our weekly newsletter and is being republished here.
What would you create if you weren’t doing it for the likes?
Hey guys,
So today, in Australia (and other regions I since learned) Instagram has made the decision to remove the ‘likes’ count in an effort to improve well-being of users and enhance community spirit, since it’s become clear that people were linking their self-esteem to the number of likes they were receiving on each post and thus degrading the platform experience to nothing more than a high school popularity competition.
Excited by this change, I took to Instagram and shared my thoughts. Here’s what I wrote:
“From today Australian Instagram users will no longer see the number of ‘likes’ an Instagram post receives, in a major shakeup announced by the social media giant.” This is the best news to come out about Insta in recent years as it will help to reduce people’s addiction to the likes and personally, I was sick of the vanity metrics and the game playing (because of the “algorithm limiting audience reached” we received yet another couple of emails from ‘influencers’ asking to be in these effing ‘like’ pods where we all like each other’s sh*t, *massive eye roll* yeh because that’s so ‘ethical’, thanks but no thanks) and how boring Insta had become because of it. We can all get back to being creative now that people aren’t making it a competition for ‘likes’ aka social point scoring blah blah. Less competition, less stress, less vanity. Better social experience all around in my opinion!”
It’s common knowledge in our community that I had fallen out of love with social media in recent years, particularly Instagram and Facebook (read my post, “Why I’ve Chosen Not to Delete Facebook Just Yet“) but I may learn to once again enjoy recreational time on Instagram with this new change.
Now if you’re in a region that’s impacted by the Instagram change, how do you feel? Feel free to reply to this email if you’re keen to share your thoughts.
Anyway, here’s what I’ve been watching, reading and listening to this week:
Podcast Shows / Films:
Alicia Keys, Oprah’s Masterclass The Podcast
Bullshit Jobs, Hidden Brain. For people who feel their jobs are meaningless. If you’ve ever had a job where you had to stop and ask yourself “what am I doing here” and felt that if you quit, no one would be affected or even notice, this podcast show is recommended.
Tanya Plibersek on women in politics, A Podcast of One’s Own with Julia Gillard (so thrilled that the former Australian PM has started a podcast to encourage more women into Australian politics! Hells to the yes!)
Books:
Digital Human: The Fourth Revolution of Humanity Includes Everyone by Chris Skinner (still reading)
Articles /Posts:
The most important thing you can do right now to fight climate change, according to Science, Think Progress
Instagram hides number of likes from users in Australian trial, The Guardian
H&M’s Fashion Sustainability Claims Questioned in Norway, Fortune
‘Cambodia is Not a Dustbin.’ More Plastic Waste to be Sent Back to the US and Canada, TIME
Melbourne declares climate emergency, vows to listen to the rightfully pissed-off youth, Pedestrian TV
‘Disgusting, racist’: Trump slammed for attack on congresswomen, Al Jazeera
And that’s a wrap. Have a fab rest of week!
Peace, love and all that jazz,
Jen xx (Editor-in-Chief)
Recommending reading:
- What People Really Think of Social Media Influencers
- So You Want To Be a Social Media Influencer? Prince Ea Has Some Advice For You…
- Why We Need More Intellectuals To Be Influencers and Noisemakers
- Absurd Influencers Ruin Social Media, and Now They’re Ruining Nature Too
- How NOT to Approach Sustainable and Ethical Influencers If You’re In PR
- We All Want To Be Seen: How Society Created Fashion’s Influencer Culture
- Why I Hate Influencer Culture
- An Insider’s Take on Eco Fashion Blogging and Ethical Fashion Influencers
Feature image via Shutterstock.
