Removing Instagram Likes - You are Still Special

Max Lucado was right when he published ‘You Are Special’. If you’re unfamiliar with the children’s book, it was published in 1997 about wooden people. It is a fictional book about a people called the Wemmicks who ran around putting yellow star and grey dots stickers on each other depending on what they saw. Yellow stars were seen as positive and grey dots as negative. Eventually one of the Wemmicks saw another without any dots or stars. He asked she did it and she told him to go see Eli the Woodcarver and he’d figure it out. Eventually, this Wemmick saw Eli and Eli reminded him that he was made by him and not to worry about what the other Wemmick’s though. In turn, his dots began to fall off.

The book was made to instil confidence in children about who they are and who they wanted to be. It didn’t matter what their likes or dislikes were, but that they were special just the way they are. Somewhere down the road, we’ve forgotten that it’s okay to just be yourself and not to seek approval of others.

Much like Instagram today, the likes, the red and white hearts are being taken off of public view. Social media users have become so trained to want the likes and feel negative and down if they don’t reach a certain number. Everyone’s approval - or likes - became more important than our own view on ourselves.

Of course, people can still go through and figure out how many likes you have, and you’ll be able to see as well, but (in Canada, at least) they are no longer on display as a measurement of value. The app is going back to its original focus of creating great content rather than boasting your popularity.

With mental health awareness week well underway (May 6 to May 12), it is important we don’t nurture a society where the number of likes or followers provide value. Max’s children story is a beautiful reminder that we are loved by someone, made by someone and shouldn’t live for the likes - the red and white hearts or the yellow stars.

Instagram is taking a step in the right direction for all of social media.

Thanks, Instagram.