Influencers Told to Get a ‘Real Job’ After IG Remove Likes Count

Let’s all be a little honest here.

Sometimes, we all get a little jealous of social media influencers.

I mean, all they seem to do all day is take photos and post them on Instagram. And voila, money flies into their bank account.

Some of them get free products on top of being paid to advertise them in their posts.

Of course, the salty yet truthful side of us can’t help but notice the fact that the current state of social media platforms such as Instagram allows these influencers to be earning a living doing what they like.

Well, all that might be about to change.

Instagram To Remove “Likes” Count

You might have read in the news a while back that Instagram was planning to hide the “Likes” count on posts in an attempt to remove social media pressure.

Around a week ago, Instagram rolled out a trial in 6 different countries.

It’s all cool, right? Nothing to worry about.

It’s not like anyone is depending on the “Likes” count for a living.

Oh wait, there is.

The entire livelihood of influencers depend on “Likes” and with this trial, Australian influencers went sent into a mass panic.

Image: Giphy

For example, Elizabeth Sobinoff, an influencer apparently known for female-empowerment posts, has been feeling the hit.

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😁 #melbourne

A post shared by Elizabeth Sobinoff (@lizalizzieelizabeth) on

Her follower count had dropped by around 1,000 since the trial was started.

As influencers depend on the engagement levels on their posts for sponsorships, endorsements, and advertisements, a drop in follower count would mean a drop in their bank account.

“Go get jobs in the real world”

Australians were less than sympathetic at the plight of their nation’s influencers, flooding Facebook with sarcastic, witty, and savage comments.

Several comments have asked them to get “real jobs”, insinuating that “influencer” is hardly a legitimate occupation.

Image: Daily Mail

Another creative comment wrote “I’m sure they’re hiring at Woolies and Coles,” implying the lack of abilities and qualifications of influencers.

Yet one more comment said: “I’d be devastated too if I found a job that I had to do basically nothing and then had to now work for it.”

Here are some of the comments on Facebook, out of the thousands of a similar nature.

Image: Daily Mail

Absolute savage.

What do you think of Instagram’s new move?

It’s believed to relieve the pressures of social media on its users and aiding in their self-esteem and feelings of adequacy.

Mia Garlick, the Director of Policy at Facebook Australia and New Zealand (Instagram is owned by Facebook) said that “We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love.”

I personally think it’s a good move, what about you?

Meanwhile, I wonder if Singapore’s Instagram “influencers” are praying to the Gods above for this change to not be implemented here.

Image: Giphy

And, by the way, you can don’t like our Instagram images, but would you be kind enough to follow us (and join the giveaway below)? We hope we can hide the number of followers we have too, but too bad that feature isn’t available: