In Singapore, influencers can charge hundreds or thousands for one Instagram post.
People want to show off the most enjoyable moments of their lives and are encouraged to post more of such moments on Instagram when they experience that dopamine hit with each like received. However, on the Internet, it is not easy, if not impossible, to read reactions from the audience. The like button here then becomes a vivid expression of concurrence.Likes serve to give us a sense of our social approval ratings and popularity, regardless of whether we ourselves actually like using the button. Even if the count is visible to us, having this number be publicly visible is a vindication of our status.
Hiding likes may remove the pressure for popularity, but at the same time it may also remove the joy of using social media. To apply this lesson to today’s social media, if users begin to find having the number of likes shown on their account hateful, Instagram risks the entry of a new social media platform that can minimise drawbacks but allow a more subtle way of expressing admiration to flourish.