SYDNEY: Instagram started hiding “likes” on its platform in Australia, Brazil and several other major markets Thursday, saying it wanted to ease pressure on users, following criticism about its impacts on mental health.
The Facebook-owned social media giant’s trial changes mean users in the six countries will no longer be able to see the number of likes other people’s posts receive.
“We want Instagram to be a place where people feel comfortable expressing themselves,” Facebook Australia and New Zealand policy director Mia Garlick said in a statement.
“We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love.”
Australia, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Brazil and New Zealand are involved in the new trial, which follows an initial test that was launched in Canada in May.
Although Instagram described the hiding of the likes for users as a “test,” no deadline was given for when it would end.
Instagram, which has more than one billion users worldwide, is a platform that allows users to post images and videos that others can then like or comment on.
But, in the chosen test countries, likes will not be visible on people’s profiles, the main image feed or permalink pages.
And while Instagram users will still be able to view the total number of likes on their own posts, they will need to click through to another page in order to do so.
Social media giants have faced increased scrutiny over the impact their platforms can have on users, and there is some research to suggest Instagram can negatively affect the mental health of young people who use it.
A 2017 study by the Royal Society for Public Health ranked Instagram as the worst social media platform for young people’s mental health in the United Kingdom.
A 2018 survey of teenagers in the United States by the Pew Research Center found that nearly 40 percent felt pressure to only share digital content that had garnered a lot of likes or comments.
Another statement from Instagram as it announced the trial changes for the likes also emphasized they were in response to concerns about the pressures that users felt.
“We are testing this because we want your followers to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get,” an Instagram spokesman said.
“We don’t want Instagram to feel like a competition.”
The latest measure came just a week after Instagram implemented new features aimed at curbing online bullying using artificial intelligence.
In another effort introduced in February to safeguard the mental health of young users, Instagram clamped down on images related to self-harm.
Instagram said the measures to conceal likes would not affect measurement tools used by businesses that use the platform to promote their products.
Instagram hides ‘likes’ from more users
Instagram hides ‘likes’ from more users
- The changes mean users in the six countries will no longer be able to see the number of likes other people’s posts receive
- Australia, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Brazil and New Zealand are involved in the new trial
Gems of Arabia magazine launched to spotlight talents shaping Saudi Arabia’s evolving cultural landscape
DUBAI: When Saudi fashion designer Hatem Alakeel interviewed Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud before her appointment as Saudi ambassador to the US, the longtime advocate of women’s empowerment made a powerful prediction: “I look forward to the day that the Saudi woman is no longer the story but rather a phenomenal achievement.”
That moment would become the foundation for Gems of Arabia, an arts and culture audio-visual podcast that spotlights the creative talents shaping the landscape of Saudi Arabia and the broader region.
Over six years, Gems of Arabia has documented the sweeping transformation of the Kingdom’s art and culture scene, and is now evolving into a full-fledged magazine.
“It started off as a column I used to write, and from there, it turned into a podcast. Now it is growing into a magazine,” Dubai-based Alakeel, the magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief, told Arab News ahead of the launch of the digital publication on Thursday.
Besides spotlighting celebrated regional artists, Alakeel said Gems of Arabia is in search of the “hidden gems” elevating the region across design, tech, music, architecture and media.
The magazine serves as a platform for talented, authentic creatives and tech entrepreneurs unable to articulate their work “because they don’t have the public relations or capacity to promote themselves even through social media.”
Alakeel added: “Our job is to identify all these authentic people; you don’t have to be famous, you just have to be authentic, and have a great story to tell.”
What differentiates Gems of Arabia, he said, is its story of continuity and substance amassed over the years that has captured the evolution of the wider regional landscape.
“The website represents an archive of nearly 150 articles compiled through years of podcasts and long-form conversations that show continuity and depth changes,” he said.
“So, it’s an evolution and it’s another home for all our content and our community.”
Growing up in France, Alakeel said his mission started early on when he felt the need to represent his Saudi culture “in a way where it can hold its own internationally.”
Through his first brand, Toby, he sought to bring the traditional thobe into modern designs and introduce it to the luxury fashion world. This mission was accomplished when his thobe designs were placed alongside global labels such as Harvey Nichols, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada.
What began as a personal design mission would soon expand into a broader platform to champion Saudi talent.
“I was articulating my culture through fashion and it just felt natural to do that through the incredible people that the region has,” Alakeel said, adding that the magazine aims to highlight the richness of the Kingdom, and wider modern Arab culture to global audiences.
“Art is such a great way of learning about a culture and a country,” he said.
The platform offers a dynamic blend of short-form podcasts, coverage of regional cultural events, in-depth features and editorials, long-form interviews and artist profiles — spotlighting both celebrated and emerging talents. This is complemented by social media vox pops and bite-sized coverage of art events across the region.
On the ground in Saudi Arabia, the publication hosts GEMS Forum, a series of live cultural gatherings that bring together prominent artistic figures for in-depth conversations later transformed into podcast episodes recorded with a live audience.
Alakeel, who also runs Authenticite, a consulting and creative production agency connecting creators and brands who want to understand Saudi culture, said the magazine content is “carefully curated” to feature topics and personalities that resonate in the region.
He said the print edition of Gems of Arabia will debut in March, designed as a collectible coffee-table quarterly distributed across the Gulf.
The designer envisions the platform growing into a long-term cultural record.
“It's a Saudi-centric magazine, but the idea is to make it inclusive to the region and everyone authentic has a seat at the table,” said Alakeel.
