This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
Facebook is taking steps to improve the mental health of its users by considering a change to hide like counts on News Feed posts. This move aims to prevent users from destructively comparing themselves to their friends and feeling worthless if their posts don't receive as many likes.
The company previously tested a similar move on Instagram, where users are shown a post's audience just a few names of mutual friends who've liked it instead of the total number. This test was conducted in 7 countries, including Canada and Brazil.
According to data miner Jane Manchun Wong, Facebook is experimenting with this change in its Android app. Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch that it's considering the test, but it hasn't started running yet.
If the change is executed, Facebook posts will no longer show the number of likes or reactions. Instead, users will see a list of people who have reacted to the post, but without a specific number. The post creator will still be able to see the number of likes and reactions.
Wong pointed out that likes and reactions on comments were still viewable with this feature turned on. Facebook's goal is to remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, which could lead to more posts on the platform and more time spent on it.
