Can Facebook hiding 'Likes' curb bullying?
Social networking giant conducts experiment for mental health; experts say it needs to do more to combat online harassment
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Prefer us on GoogleLast Updated: Oct 09, 2019, 10:44 IST1 min
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The social networking giant had conducted a similar experiment on Instagram in July when likes were hidden in seven countries: Australia, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy and Japan.
“Facebook has argued that hiding likes will benefit a user’s mental health, so they are pushing it out as an advantage… but I’m not sure there is a demonstrable correlation. It needs to do a lot more to clean up bullying and online harassment for users to take them seriously,” says Corinne Podger, social media consultant and trainer.
“This would enable brands to focus on real business metrics but in the shorter term there will be some disorientation as both clients and agencies would have to reassess the metrics they track,” explains Rajiv Dingra, founder and CEO of digital marketing agency WATConsult.
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“Creative minds thrive on the likes which give them an idea about whether or not their work resonates with the audience. Brands approach creators who have a decent engagement. So hiding likes will affect creators and brands too,” says YouTuber Bhuvan Bam.
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On October 2, Instagram began a feature called “Restrict”. When you "restrict" a user, comments on your posts from that person are only visible to them, and not to other people.
First Published: Oct 09, 2019, 10:44
Subscribe NowNaandika covers tech, startups, corporate, and human interest stories. She holds a postgraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM, Bangalore), with a specialisation i
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