The Future of Social Media

By: Kate Wroblewski

When thinking about what Social Media will be like in the future, one specific idea came to mind. Last year, there was an uproar because Instagram decided they wanted to get rid of likes. For social media influencers and celebrities, this was something that could potentially effect their career. For the common population, like me, I was really excited about this idea. I like to say that I do not care about social media, and I will post whatever I want, but this is not always true. I seem to catch myself checking how many likes I have, who liked my post, and how many comments I receive. It has gotten to the point where I now have to put away my phone after I post a picture on Instagram so I do not obsess over it.

In the future of social media, I hope we get rid of likes. It will make people so much more eager to post on Instagram. I will not care if what I am posting “will do well”, or if “it’d good enough to put on my feed”. I love the world of social media and it will be around for awhile. Making a slight change like getting rid of likes could really advance the way we see social media in society. It could be seen as a fun app where you can truly express who you are, instead of who you want people to think you are. Other countries have gone ahead and removed liked from peoples accounts permanently. I am excited to see what happens when this event happens in the United States.