Meta Agrees to New Protections for Minors on Facebook, Instagram
A settlement between Meta and state attorneys general will change how users under 18 experience the platforms, including hiding likes by default.
Meta Platforms has reached a settlement with state attorneys general that will introduce new protections for users under 18 on Facebook and Instagram. A notable change will be that, by default, users under 18 will no longer be able to see the number of likes and other reactions on their own posts or on posts from others.
The reforms are intended to safeguard children and teenagers, addressing psychological phenomena that can also affect adults, according to Dr. Ashwini Nadkarni, a psychiatrist. The underlying issue is social comparison, a fundamental human tendency where individuals assess themselves in relation to others.
Likes, follower counts, views, and shares are metrics that quantify social validation, making comparison difficult to avoid. From an evolutionary standpoint, social comparison may have helped early humans understand social hierarchies and belonging. However, modern social media has dramatically altered the scale, frequency, quantification, and accessibility of this comparison.
Neuroimaging studies indicate that the brain processes social standing similarly to gains or losses, with downward comparisons (seeing others perform worse) engaging reward circuits and upward comparisons (seeing others perform better) triggering negative emotions. Research has shown that frequent and extreme upward comparisons on social media can lead to immediate declines in self-evaluation and cumulative decreases in self-esteem and life satisfaction. Across generational groups, a tendency toward social comparison, coupled with maladaptive coping mechanisms for emotions, has been linked to increased symptoms of anger, anxiety, and depression.
While hiding likes may not eliminate social comparison entirely, it removes a specific numerical metric from the constant feedback loop. The settlement's changes acknowledge the profound impact that readily available, quantified social feedback can have on mental well-being, prompting a broader cultural consideration of how individuals define their social worth beyond digital scoreboards.