Martha Kalifatidis/Keira Maguire/InstagramFor most of us, Instagram likes mean nothing. Sure, it’s nice to feel a false sense of validation, but they’re not the be all and end all.
For influencers on the other hand, that’s a completely different story, and thousands could be set to lose their online fame and fortune as Instagram removes the ‘like count’.
Influencers in Australia could struggle to find sponsorships and paid posts after Instagram removes to iconic feature in the country, leaving many careers hanging in the balance.
However, it would seem there’s a lack of sympathy from fellow Aussies who are telling Instagram stars to ‘go get jobs in the real world’ now.
‘I’m sure they’re hiring at Woolies and Coles,’ one person scorned after Daily Mail Australia revealed how much influencers may struggle as a result of the changes.
Another added:
I’d be devastated too if I found a job that I had to do basically nothing and then had to now work for it.
A third Aussie joked they’re sending ‘thoughts and prayers’ to influencers who might not be able to financially support themselves through Instagram anymore.
While most of us probably wouldn’t ever think of the drastic consequences that could ensue from removing the likes count, reality stars and influencers are already suffering the consequences with some losing thousands of followers per day.
Sponsorships and endorsements are generally determined by engagement levels, which comes down to the number of likes and comments each post receives, meaning the change could already be destroying careers.
According to analytics website Social Blade, reality TV show Married At First Sight’s Elizabeth Sobinoff is already feeling the effects of the change.
Although she’s widely known in Australia for sharing inspiring posts about female empowerment, a total of 683 people unfollowed her yesterday (Monday) with a further 182 unfollowing her the day before. Despite managing to gain 113 followers at the weekend, she’s lost almost 1,000 followers so far since the changes were introduced.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s co-star Cyrell Paule also seems to be losing followers by the day, potentially as a result of the change.
Despite managing to gain 277 followers on Friday, she’s already lost a total of 1,241 since the removal of the likes count.
Meanwhile, others believe removing the likes count will help users from feeling low self-esteem if their pictures don’t receive the number of likes they were hoping for.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.