'Likes' on Social Media

Instagram is a popular social media site that allows people to post images and messages.

With other users view theses posts, they can press the "like" button to show their approval.

The public count of likes shows exactly how many people enjoyed that certain post.

However, Instagram is now considering the removal of the like button along with the public like count.

As a test, the social media site has already hidden the like count display in several countries.

So, in these countries, there is no way to know how many people approved of a post.

Many people support Instagram's decision.

They say that the like function on social media sites can be harmful because users become too concerned about being judged.

Some users get anxious when they do not receive enough likes.

For these people, it can even affect their mental health.

What's more, too many users manipulate the like function for their own benefit.

They often post extreme images and opinions in order to attract more likes.

Also, some companies even create fake users to increase the public like count.

These kinds of behavior make social media less enjoyable for everyone else.

However, some users want Instagram and other social media sites to keep the likes.

They say this fun feature is a big reason that social media sites are so popular.

Also, the likes can help different users to share their opinions and communicate with one another.

Furthermore, these users acknowledge that some people get overly stressed by the likes.

However, most people are able to have fun with them and not take them very seriously.

So, it is unfair to make such a significant change just to satisfy a small number of users.

 

• along with  ...와 함께...에 따라.

• manipulate  məˈnɪpjuleɪt    조작하다 ,  (흔히 교묘하고 부정직하게 사람·사물을) 조종하다 ,   (사물을 능숙하게) 다루다[조작(操作)하다/처리하다]

• acknowledge  ək|nɑːlɪdʒ  (사실로) 인정하다 ,   (권위나 자격을) 인정하다 (=recognize)

• significant  sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt    (영향을 주거나 두드러질 정도로) 중요한[의미 있는/커다란] (→insignificant)