Social Media. It is exactly what you think it is. Social. Media.
So why has this consumed our lives? What does social media do? What does social media mean?
Social Media makes our lives public, and regardless of what anyone tells you, we are all chasing those "likes"
Let's be real, those people who say they don't care how many "likes" they get are liars, because why else would you post in the first place? You want people to see, and you want them to react. This is the reason you are on social media, and why you post public updates about your life.
Now being a graduate of a degree in Honors Specialization in Sociocultural Anthropology, I tend to monitor not only my own social media behaviour, but that of others as well. And what I often wonder, is what value people place on their "likes", not only those received, but those given.
You may not have noticed, but as Facebook becomes crowded with ads, less and less people are posting, but are instead using it as a medium to find, read and watch interesting news updates, articles or perhaps funny memes or videos. The personal posts have been slowly shifting towards Instagram. Even Instagram stories, have arguably taken over Snapchat.
Therefore, this post will focus on Instagram, as that's what is currently holding my curiosity and attention.
My main question is not why you choose to "like" the photos on your feed, but why you choose to actively "dislike" them? What value do you place on your "likes" and your "dislikes"?
Well... here's what I've noticed (also this depends on the type of followers you have).
When you use those hashtags, yes, you get those "likes" from those speciality accounts, those people who are trying to make it in the Instagram world, but is that even worth it? Those are the people who are just trolling their feeds, "liking" every single photo in the hopes that they will get more followers, and yes, if you put the time in, that strategy does work. Why? automatic recognition, its basically free, but time-consuming brand awareness.
Your friends, LOVE selfies, or photos of you. They love when you're in the photo, I mean you are the one they know after all. They want to see that beautiful face, or perhaps you just being you.
They still like those beautiful images you post, but maybe they do a little less than the photos of your face.
Here's the kicker, there is a very fine line, between posting too much, posting too little and posting the right amount, depending on your audience. I've noticed that those accounts that post very rarely get a lot of "likes". I can only assume it is because people have been wondering what the heck you've been doing and they want you to know that they are still a part of your life. But here's my breakdown:
1 post every few months (depending on the post) : "like jackpot"
- now when I say depending on the post, if its just some rando photo, probably won't get that much of a reaction, but anything with you in it, is pure gold.
1 post every few days, say 3-4 times per week: "dwindling likes" people get tired, and/or they get jealous. I mean, lets be real, if post a selfie everyday they are probably getting tired of you, but if you post new content, let's be real again, they're jealous. Why? because you are living your life, and chances are, they are not.
1+ post per day: "increasing likes" if this is you, you're probably using a lot of hashtags and are building your account. Go for it, live your life, but know that a lot of these "likes" are most likely from other accounts, similar to yours doing the exact same thing.
Anyways, this has become a little off topic, but after this mini post, I wonder, why are your followers actively choosing to not "like" some photos but then "like" others? Where is the line?
Answer (from what I gather): When they don't "like" your photo, they are either jealous and don't think you deserve any more gratification, or they're not jealous, but they don't want to feed your ego, or lastly, they really dislike or disagree with your post.
Plain and Simple.
But let me know what you think, I would love to collect more thoughts on the subject!