Did you like my post
I know just by seeing my post ...most of you will click like button even without reading or commenting on it......
I have started writing blogs to elicit responses n discussion on thoughts ...but time I post .....likes start coming...which seems without reading....
This post is postmortem of same ..n please don't like ..better read it...
One of the first things we all do ......in the morning is to check one's social feed. Depending on your poison of choice it could be Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp,Twitter, Tinder, Snapchat or Linkedin. Whichever platform we’re on, one of the first check points is the ‘notification’ tab. ....
Has anyone liked something of my pictures..
Has anyone tagged me ....n so on....
It’s a habit we quickly get pulled into. It’s addictive. Have you ever stopped to wonder why it’s so addictive?
That little rush we get when your post gets more likes than normal? There is a reason for that rush. Dopamine.
For every thumbs up or heart we get a little psychological high through a shot of dopamine. The more likes the more shots. The more shots we have, the more shots we want. And we’re in a loop. Scientists used to think dopamine was responsible for pleasure in the brain, but we now know that rather than create pleasure it makes us seek it.
People are more likely to engage with posts that have been endorsed/liked by a large amount of their peers — a follow the crowd mentality.
The amount of ‘likes’ we get generally depends on how many friends or followers we have and the mountain of social psychology that’s happening behind the scene. If you’re looking at the amount of ‘likes’ you get on a post as a sign of engagement, it’s worth knowing the reasons behind your ‘likes
Why do we want to be liked?
Facebook introduced their like button in February 2009 — nearly five years after launching. Ironically, Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg didn’t ‘like it’. History indicates it took nearly two years for the ‘like’ button to get approval. How did we ever use Facebook without a like button? We all want to be liked right?
As social beings we like to talk about ourselves a lot. Either directly or indirectly. More studies indicate we talk about ourselvesnearly 40% of the time! When we start using our keyboard to talk this figure jumps to around 80%.
Why? Face to face communication is quick and occasionally awkward. We don’t have time to think of the words before they’re leaving our mouth. We speak from experience here. Talking online gives us time to think and words can be carefully selected to present yourself in the best possible light. The online space is something we can control.
We share our thoughts and interests primarily because we want to stay connected with the people we care about but also because we want to give others an idea of who we are. If our friends and followers like our posts we feel good. The more likes, the more dopamine, the better we feel.
“Likes are always an indicator of social standing....in mind of person who has posted
As someone who gets anxious and occasionally struggles with self-esteem, the amount of Likes on my posts can be both hugely uplifting or depressing.”
In putting a picture or comment on social media you’re opening yourself up to judgement. You’re making yourself vulnerable to the thoughts of others. If the post doesn’t elicit the reaction you’d hoped for it can hurt. As individuals we’re seeking approval from our peers. When we get the approval everything is good..
. We feel good — we get a little dopamine hit. It’s why we keep going back for more.
And more....but what if we don't get desired likes or in comparison lesser then our friends...then we start clicking likes blindly for everyone's posts ..with a thought that others also will do same...you scratch my back I will do same....
Is it scary.....let's be honest may be as an adult we may handle it but what about our kids...n presume some app brought dislike button ...what would happen to self esteem..
Pls understand like is factually a marketing tool by app developer...
by developing an understanding of how a customer wishes to be seen by their peers, brands can serve content designed to reinforce desirable perceptions and improve the likelihood of that customer engaging with such a post....
So friends you like..or not my post but please make you n your family aware about this concept of like...have more wonderful liking people around you....
Thought provoking Sir, in this world dictated by consumerism and instant gratification. More readership to you Sir. Sangita
ReplyDeleteI feel this need for approval endorsed by the Like button is a signal of low esteem. This happens when we need the approval of others about us and our views to feel validated and accepted. Like a defence mechanism. However this hunger for likes also may lead to differences in opinion, stress, anger, resentment and feelings of rejection and finally self harm. As u pointed out, the youth are especially vulnerable to this and I see it with my own children. They pose, act and project images which solicit likes. The youth have developed an addiction as u pointed out to Likes. As parents, how can we tackle this issue is a major question. If we ourselves are stuck in the same need for approval and acceptance signalling a low self esteem in ourselves, how can we even think of offering a solution to our children. I think, first, we must oursleves take a sabbatical from social media for 3 months. I did it and realized that all the negativity, fights and bad vibes and compulsion to defend ones stand and views and forwards was creating major stress in my life. After 3 months of life without aoci media, I re-learnt that I did not need others approval or to be validated. I also learnt how meaningless and stupid the discussions and fights on social media were. I decided to use the social media for positivity only. That's why I cut down my participation to only close family and very close friends groups. Believe me, it made my life easier. I also teach the same to my children but I guess they will learn on their own. They do hear me out but don't take me seriously I think. As parents, we must set the example oursleves and hope the youth imbibe it. If not, time is the greatest teacher.
ReplyDeleteOne Dopamine shot surely for the Topic. Many or almost none give a thought in giving like and but thinks before giving dislike. The postmortem of like-post reveals the chemistry here.
ReplyDeleteLike 👍😀
ReplyDeleteInformative....
ReplyDeleteBut then that's what life today has become until one has attained 'social media Nirvana'.
Much has been written about it. Of all the articles I read earlier, I find this article the most educational.
ReplyDeleteInteresting and informative one.. Very Nice sir
ReplyDeleteNice article 👍
ReplyDeleteI am enlightened. I won't bother number of likes on my posts. But will continue liking such educative posts.
ReplyDeleteIt is Premananda.
DeleteVery good article Rajnish, it is pretty deep - we need to control our actions of mere hitting those like buttons without measuring the merit of the post. The word Like might lose its essence or it can also impact rational thought process. May be someday buttons like understanding/reciprocating/echoing/imbibing also be symbolized on social media. and then... Probably, that may be evolution of language. 😳
ReplyDelete