This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
Facebook is exploring ways to reduce the negative impact of social media on users' mental health. As part of this effort, the company is currently testing a feature that hides the number of likes a post receives in Australia.
Under the test, users will only see 'Techish and others' instead of the usual 'Techish and 105 others' when viewing a post. However, post authors will still be able to see the actual number of reactions their post received.
A Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch, 'We are running a limited test where like, reaction, and video view counts are made private across Facebook. We will gather feedback to understand whether this change will improve people's experiences.'
This is not the first time Facebook has experimented with hiding likes. The company previously tested a similar feature on Instagram, where some users were shown a 'few likes' or 'no likes' instead of the actual number.
By hiding likes, Facebook aims to reduce the pressure users feel to post content that will receive a certain number of likes. This, in turn, may encourage users to be more authentic and genuine in their online interactions.
Facebook's move is part of a growing trend among social media companies to prioritize users' mental health and well-being. As the company continues to test and refine this feature, it will be interesting to see how users respond.
