HT Brunch Sunday Debate: Instagram doing away with Likes

The thought sparks off a war of views between an actor-musician couple based out of Mumbai who have been living together for months now

“Limiting the visibility of number of Likes is a good idea…”

Instagram head Adam Mosseri making the announcement last Friday

By Vidyuth Gargi

Vidyuth says when he was obsessed [with Likes], the pressure to put up more content was crazy

Limiting the visibility of your Likes is a good idea as that takes so much pressure off you, and there are no insecurities or feeling bad about people not liking your posts. And people can still like your picture and you’ll be able to see it, that’s still engagement.

Initially there was a point where I had to do promotions for films and I was quite active on Instagram, and I was getting a lot of likes and got a little obsessed (and had fights about it on the phone all the time with Nisa!). At some point, I realised that I was checking my phone all day and it wasn’t a healthy space. It got toxic and the pressure to put up more content was crazy.

But I still like Instagram because I can put my work up like the funny songs, poetry, etc., which people won’t see on a screen. And if people want to know about me, the first place they will look is my Instagram. So, it’s a good way for people to get to know who I am. It helps with visibility, but I dream about quitting Instagram every day. I’m only there for work. I know that the poetry and music I write isn’t monetizable but I can put it up on social media and get compliments sans any Likes.

I feel Nisa is on the phone a lot. I tell her to put the phone down and she listens. There was a point when I was on IG a lot and she would shout at me. (laughs) I want to put up stuff but only things that I want to, not just for the heck of it. Likes or no Likes.

Vidyuth Gargi, 26, is an actor, musician-in-the-making and model, who was most recently seen in the series Pushpavalli. He has been dating Nisa for a year

“…but it won’t take the pressure off; we can see our own Likes!”

By Nisa Shetty

Nisa says that for someone whose life exists online, they need to show their likes for validation and work

For someone whose life revolves around online presence, they need to show their Likes for validation and work. Then, there are people who flourish maybe not in person but on Instagram. I’m very insecure and I see who’s liked something or not, whether a certain person has reacted to something or not, so maybe this privatisation may be a good thing in that aspect.

I was constantly checking how my content was doing after I uploaded it. I’ve already been through that stressful phase on social media and even quit it and have come back. Once I realised people were reacting to my videos, I just kept uploading things and didn’t check my phone as much. On the flip side, Instagram is also a great place to get inspired. The whole #MeToo movement or body positivity momentum wouldn’t have been successful had it not been for Instagram. I even experimented with this character called Soniya Serendipity that Vidyuth has written for an artsy, spiritual, NRI girl. When I started with that, I got a lot of DMs about how inspiring it was – and the Likes gave me a boost.

I tell my partner to be more on Instagram because as an actor and musician, he really needs to put his content out there. But he doesn’t listen. But he’ll have to because even casting calls today have benchmarks involving the number of followers you have. And as dumb as that is, we do live in a day and age of social media where your number of Likes, followers, etc., matter. Taking them away may take the pressure off, but not really, because you’ll still be able to see it, right?

Nisa Shetty, 28, is a musician and actor, whose Instagram character kept many entertained during lockdown. She’s been dating Vidyuth for a year

From HT Brunch, March 14, 2021

Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch

Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch