'It's unhealthy,' Larry Madowo on why Instagram should ban 'like' button

Piece by: Peninah Njoki
Lifestyle

BBC reporter Larry Madowo has said he supports a step by Instagram to remove the 'Like' button on their application. This he said after reaching a million followers.

According to Madowo Instagram should consider getting rid of the like button entirely.

Taking to his social media he penned.

'Thanks a million! I can’t wait for Instagram to hide likes, starting in the US this week.

I have a million followers & thousands of likes but using either for validation is unhealthy & dangerous.

Adding,

It creates an impossible standard for most people.

I hope they’re removed permanently for everyone around the world.'

Instagram is already testing out hiding likes in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand, which began in July.

Likes aren't completely gone, you can still view the like count on your own photos and videos, just not posts from others.

Back in April, Adam Mosseri told BuzzFeed News that removing likes was

"about creating a less pressurized environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves."

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced that at first, likes will only disappear for certain users as a test of the feature.

"We will make decisions that hurt the business if they help people's well-being and health" Mosseri said, according to Wired.