Katie Lee, Nanshan Chinese International College

“Have you liked my post yet?”

“Someone unfollowed me!”

“I’ve got more likes than you! Hah!”

The use of social media is becoming prevalent in society, and it’s nothing to be surprised about. Social media can be used to express our views or share our cherished moments with our friends and family; but there is one dark side to such social media platforms: It’s easy to get obsessed with your likes and follower counts.

So what if Weibo did not display the likes and the follower counts?

Although removing the metrics can harm some influencers who use them to advertise their brand or to find business opportunities, it can relieve some people from status anxiety. I have witnessed many of my peers under the pressure of maintaining their status, their places in social media. Comparing their posts with others’ make them feel incompetent and upset. The fact that people don’t find some of their posts “likable” trouble them greatly; they have to make people “like” and “follow” their posts. This kind of toxic air on the platforms should be cleaned out by not showing the numbers. Not only can the hidden metrics stop people from feeling pressuned and judgmental, it can also help the users realize how insignificant the numbers are.

This metric-free space is exactly what we need right now. Numbers should not control our lives, nor should they be able to determine your self-worth.