TOBY SHAPSHAK: Trying to hobble the ‘like’ monster
The ‘like’ button worked well for Facebook — too well. Now it is looking for ways to defuse the function’s unhealthy power
03 October 2019 - 05:00
Having built its empire on the power of a "like", Facebook is reaping the consequences of this online beauty contest. It is an ecosystem that is unravelling as the social media giant struggles with the unintended psychological consequences.
In a surprise experiment piloted in Australia that could help users’ mental health, Facebook no longer shows a count of likes, reactions and video views on posts. This follows a similar trial earlier this year on Facebook’s Instagram, which is now under way in seven countries...
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