Facebook is testing hidden like counts on its social network, the test is initially occurring in Australia and it began on September 27th. Under the new test conditions, Facebook posts will have hidden like counts where users can see who liked a post but not how many likes a post has.
Facebook's rationale for not displaying like counts is that it wants to promote expression on the platform. Facebook is attempting to cultivate its users to post quality content on the site, without concern for other people's reactions. The Facebook News Feed Team is handling the test process.
Facebook previously added a similar feature on Instagram and subsequently expanded hidden like counts to six countries.
Hidden Social Media Likes
Facebook is Testing Hidden Like Counts for Australian Users
Trend Themes
1. Hidden Like Counts - The trend of hiding like counts on social media platforms will provide room for more authentic engagement and content creation.
2. Emphasis on Quality - The emphasis on quality content over likes and reactions could spark a trend of users creating and sharing meaningful content on social media platforms.
3. User Expression - The focus on promoting user expression on social media platforms could lead to a trend of more diverse and authentic viewpoints being shared by users.
Industry Implications
1. Social Media - The social media industry may need to innovate by providing more tools to encourage authentic engagement and quality content creation over popularity-based metrics.
2. Content Creation - The content creation industry could see new opportunities to provide services that facilitate the creation and distribution of quality content that encourages user expression beyond popularity-based metrics.
3. Marketing - The marketing industry may need to adapt by placing more emphasis on authentic engagement and user expression, rather than relying solely on vanity metrics such as likes and reactions.