YouTube has decided to remove the count of “dislikes” from below the videos on the platform. The number of “thumbs up” could lead to attacks and harassment against particular users, which could become intense for the streaming platform’s 2 billion monthly active users. The new feature will begin rolling out immediately and will be available globally.
YouTube will remove the “dislikes” under the videos
In implementing this change, YouTube does not remove the possibility of putting “dislike” to videos. You can still demonstrate your opposition or the fact that a content is not to your liking. Creators will also be able to continue to monitor the number of “dislikes” privately, to get a measure of the success (or in this case the failure) of their videos. But the information it will not be publicly available.
“During the experiment we heard that some of you used the dislike count to decide whether or not to watch a video. We know you may disagree with the decision, but we believe that’s the right thing for the platform”Announced Google on its blog.
This isn’t the first time Google has tried to handle the dislike feature. Born innocently a few years ago to give users an extra form of expression, over time it has become one toxic force on the platform, according to many users. Not to mention that many scholars have carried out research on the social and psychological effect of like and dislike counts, with often conflicting results. In recent years, Meta’s social networks have given the possibility of decide whether or not to hide the like count, leaving users to decide.
YouTube, on the other hand, has decided to remove the dislike count to improve inclusiveness, respect and security on the platform. This is “one of the many steps we are taking to protect creators from harassment“. But the company assures that it will continue to study and invest in this area.
The impact of this decision on the platform remains to be assessed. We will keep you informed.