DO ‘likes’ light up your life? Twitter and Instagram thumbs-up can give you a false sense of social security

WHETHER Instagram or Twitter, the ‘like’ button can give you a false sense of importance. Enjoy them while you can but as Melissa Hoyer says, don’t let them decide your true worth.

Only one ‘like’? What have I...

OPINION: We all get a little thrill when we see a ‘like’ appear on one of our social media platforms.

You’d have to be kidding yourself if the pic you posted of that sensational sunrise, sweet bunch of flowers or made-from-scratch pavlova didn't look even sweeter with a few extra thumbs-up underneath it.

But just be careful you don’t take the number of ‘likes’ you get too seriously.

From all the Insta, FB, YouTube posts and tweets you put out there, there will always be ones that resonate with more people than others. And that’s the charm and power of social media.

What is worrying though is watching people determine their self-worth by how many ‘likes’ their posts attract.

Too often I see people get caught up in a slinging match over their social popularity and engage in a ‘but you got 200 likes and I only got 100’ conversation which is just madness and serves no purpose.

Don’t judge yourself by your likes on Instagram.

This week I read the story of a young American boy who wanted to get a few likes on a YouTube clip he posted of himself. When he ended up getting 30,000, he was beside himself.

I read this story with concern because while his sudden internet fame might give him an instant boost, the truth is there will be another YouTube sensation next week, and the week after, and the week after that.

It pays to remember that people use social media for different reasons so therefore a ‘like’ might mean more or less to them. Some use it professionally and work 24/7 to garner numbers so they can make a business out of it. Often they use their platforms to promote a product or have themselves flog said product. These people also generally buy a lot of their followers so there is a commercial burden on their mind.

Some people want to show off their rocking bods, or their weekend, or their favourite pair of thongs or whatever amazing holiday they happen to be on.

Others, use it more holistically, just to keep in touch with friends and family they don’t see in real life.

Social popularity is fraught with danger. Pic. Supplied

As a (really) big user and admirer of social media, one thing I’ve never laboured over is a lack of a thumbs-up on any of my posts. Similarly I also don’t leap around with joy over a sudden jump in ‘likes’.

A ‘like’ is pretty easy to do. People can literally ‘like’ something without even looking at it so it’s not a good indicator of your self-worth.

So I urge everyone not to play the numbers game because in the end we’re all better than a bunch of likes.

Follow Melissa on Twitter and Instagram @melissahoyer