The Disappearing Act of Twitter Likes: How a Simple Change Has Made the Platform Less Engaging

In the world of social media, context is everything. When you see a tweet, you often wonder: are they kidding? Are they in on the joke? Are they being funny or, for lack of a better word, an asshole? The answer usually lies in their Twitter Likes. But, in June, the app formerly known as Twitter made a change that has left many users wondering: what’s the point of liking anything anymore?

Twitter Likes were once the most efficient way to understand someone’s online soul. A quick scroll through their Likes tab would reveal their interests, sense of humor, and even their values. It was a tool to inspire better behavior online, as people were more likely to engage with content that resonated with them. But, with the introduction of private Likes, that’s all changed.

Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, claimed the change was made to protect people from being “attacked” online for liking posts. However, it seems more like he’s providing cover for the thin-skinned edgelords who want to like hurtful and offensive things without consequences. Musk himself is the poster boy and god-like figure of right-wing edgelords – do you think he wants his Likes public?

The privatization of Likes has also made it harder to find good content. I used to round up the best tweets of the week for Mashable, and scrolling through funny people’s Likes was the best method for finding quality content. Many coworkers did similar. Now, it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Some smart people have praised the change, saying it frees you to like whatever you want without fear of embarrassment or harassment. But, if privacy was the goal, there was already a solution. Twitter introduced bookmarks in 2018, a private way to save and organize content. So, why did they need to privatize Likes?

The result is a platform that’s lost its charm. Liking used to mean something. Now, it’s just a number. And think of all the stories we’d have been robbed of if public Likes never existed. We’d never see Jason Sudeikis liking all the posts from people who hated Ted Lasso. We’d never have known that Donald Trump liked a tweet about convicted murderer Jodi Arias. And, most importantly, without public Likes, we’d never have seen Ted Cruz’s account liking porn from the aptly named account @SexuallPosts.

The website formerly known as Twitter was once a platform for people to show their taste, an absolute must-visit to see the funniest and most important things happening online. Privatizing Likes isn’t the worst thing Musk has done to degrade the experience on Twitter (there’s plenty of that to go around), but it sure hasn’t made things better – only more boring.