Gotta get those likes!
There’s just something about that feeling when sharing a selfie on social media and your followers start clicking on that Like button!
Maybe you felt great in that selfie and wanted others to validate your feelings. Maybe you felt crummy and were looking for that little confidence boost. Why do likes give us that high?
It’s a scientific fact!
Our brains reaction to the likes we receive creates a feeling that can be compared to something as exciting as winning the lottery!! Isn’t that insane?
Just because one of my pictures on social media gets a lot of likes (to my standards) my brain sends a chemical messenger called dopamine, usually associated to love, sex, drugs…and then keeps me coming back for more! There’s science behind it, and they talk all about it here. It’s wild to think that we feel amazing, happy, accomplished just because we get likes?!?!
Am I an addict?
A few weeks ago I posted a selfie because I felt good about myself, I felt beautiful (which is extremely hard for me to say and something I’m working on) and wanted to spread a positive self-love message. Once the likes and comments started rolling in, I don’t think I had ever checked in on my social media account that much before. It was addicting, I couldn’t wait to see the new likes every time. Ok, it wasn’t a Kylie Jenner amount of likes and comments, or even what some of you might be used to getting on a daily basis, but I could definitely feel the love and could definitely feel that dopamine hit!
It’s an uncontrollable feeling, have you fallen victim to it?
Once those #likes start coming in…ohhh baby, what a high! Are likes a #virtualaddiction? Learn all about my addiction here https://bit.ly/3KAHVnu
The #virtualaddiction. Likes are like a drug and you can’t help but feel the high. But why is that? Read all about it here https://bit.ly/3KAHVnu
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 
The power of the like! In the past, I was like obsessed! It was all I ever focused on. Since Instagram took away like counts I forgot they existed. I guess the other platforms still show them, I understand their draw.
I “like” this blog.
Thank you for the like! I guess taking away like counts would help a lot to not obsess over them. I can still see my count on Instagram, maybe I’ll have to learn to control my “urges”! Lol
I have never posted anything to get likes – I do read whenever someone comments that is in my friends list – I did not even think of doing it this way and have not had any of the “highs you experienced when checking your likes”. I can certainly see how in these days if in-person isolation that there is a need for approbation from others, however I had never realised how insidious and emotion-engendering it could be. Thank you for the insight.
Lyndsay, I also never thought I would be that person, checking their likes. But now that you mentioned the isolation, I can understand why I felt that way since I’m a very social person. Thank you for making me feel a little less vain! Lol
Despite thinking of myself who doesn’t do anything for likes, I admit that I get sucked into refreshing the notifications tab every now and then. I don’t think that I’m addicted to the likes, but there are definitely times where I feel like I need to stare and wait for people to show in some way that they appreciate my posts. It just feels so disappointing when I’ve put hours into something without anyone caring! But you’re right, it’s science! It’s at least reassuring to know that I’m not just being self-absorbed, haha.