I’ve always thought the like button system to be a nice way of saying thanks or an agreeable thumbs up without affecting the flow of the thread being broken.
If one stumbles across a subject they think is worth discussing then starting new is the way to go you soon find out if someone wishes to engage.
It’s also nice that both those giving and receiving are recognised in the ratings as being a member of fair play.
Nothing wrong with a “Nod “ 
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I guess that’s basically how I viewed the giving/receiving of likes. However after watching the program it made me question there use and if they are necessary.
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I like a like it gives a bit of reassurance and gratitude and I give them thinking the same.
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What was it in the programme that concerned you, Pete? Young people giving likes to all and sundry to gain status/strokes/social acceptance? Giving likes to dodgy people, and then entering a ‘reciprocal-ish’ dodgy interaction?
I don’t do Facebook apart from a very occasional look-in. As I said, I never got why people I don’t know would make a friend request - always thought that was odd, if not downright concerning.
It was a doco on how the internet especially social media is effecting us all. Hopefully you guys will get a chance to see it, Mirror Mirror. I don’t think the topics discussed were only concerning Aussies, apparently our collective IQs are slipping not to mention that our kids are getting fatter.
I haven’t seen the show that prompted the op’s question, but I have seen various other studies and discussions. Mainly because I have younger kids who are asking me for mobile telephones and, being of a generation that didn’t grow up glued to one myself, I feel ill equipped to offer any guidance from my own experience.
My potted knowledge of this subject is basically that receiving a “like” gives you a hit of dopamine - it feels good. Dopamine is also the chemical that is released when we smoke, drink or gamble: it’s highly addictive. This can be particularly problematic for adolescents.
Videos such as this are interesting and completely terrifying! (And also the reason why my kids won’t be having a phone until they’re at least 30…):
As for this forum and the like button though, I tend to agree with what others have said. I use it as a way of agreeing with someone’s comments or saying “nice one”, or “that was funny“ (“LOL” if you’re that way inclined) etc. It is also a way of contributing without having to “say” anything. Also we don’t seem to joined here by many, if any, adolescents.
Overall, in this context, the like button seems positive to me.
I think the ‘like’ button is multi-purpose here - a quick way to acknowledge a response, a way to show support in some threads and a way to give feedback on a good response.
I doubt anyone is particularly bothered if their posts are ‘liked’ or not, but that’s probably because we grew up without the social media trends of needing ‘likes’ on twitter etc.
Online comments can easily be misconstrued if we forget to add an emoji for example to indicate something is in jest.
As a slight diversion I just skimmed an article which raises something I’d never anticipated relating to Emojis and generational divides, with younger generations considering several common Emojis to be rude or near offensive (eg 
, 
or 
). With so many serious things going on in the world at large we really do seem to get upset by seemingly trivial things far too much (I include myself in that).
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If any Forum members have ever watched “Black Mirror”, there’s a particular episode called “Nosedive” which is worth a watch - it centres around a future where peoples’ “worth” is dictated by their social media status. In terms of this Forum, I use the “like” button as either a means of agreement with another member’s post or literally of “liking” something such as a photo of a record deck for example. However, multiple pictures puts me off - in a way it’s similar to people on FB who seem obsessed with posting every aspect of their lives for all and sundry to see and comment on.
The level of argumentation is bizarre in this video. He immediately relates ‘likes’ to alcohol, drugs and smoking which is called … manipulation.
Dopamine is a given and it applies to everything in our lives. Also a lovely smile from my wife, a positive comment by someone etc. Phones are just different ways of communication and yes life takes a higher speed but we can’t stop that.
I wouldn’t like to see a thread about missing members and definitely don’t want to see more posts sent on someone’s behalf. If someone want to go, go; Quietly. Do some people feel so important that they need to explain why they left, or even worse send messages?
The ‘like’ button for me is useful for acknowledging a reply or being acknowledged for a reply. It’s polite. I also use it to show I think an opinion, photo or joke is good to me.
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That’s exactly how they were explaining the use of “likes” in the doco I was referring to.
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I think the main concern arises when people associate personal worth by how much attention (aka likes) they achieve on social media, in place of real world personal interaction. There are big social risks in that trend, especially around mental health of the younger generation.
Another big concern around media in general is the sensationalism of issues in a negative manner that creates a fear of living in the world. Again, young people seem to becoming fearful of events, though serious as they are, have to be navigated responsibly in the real world.
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Having sat in a cafe yesterday, I witnessed the inability of some to ignore their pinging smartphones even mid-meal. Prior to moby’s, private calls in the workplace were heavily regulated (accepted emergencies and for other needed events), whereas the intro of moby’s & onwards meant people leaving their devices on desk – often with all the texting & social media alerts left active. IMHO, this is not acceptable, given the constant distractions, worse it has bred a cohort of people with a culture of massive over-communication, often with very limited attention spans.
This issue has been elevated by moby’s being the primary 'phone contact for many now, be this for work and/or domestic use.
It strikes me that many of the issues created by moby’s are insoluble, unless you advocate complete removal for some.
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That’s exactly what I identify for:
- thank you in acknowledgement of a reply (always)
- something funny (sometimes)
- something I agree with (sparingly)
The comments above only address the tip of what is a much bigger iceberg. The technology of the last two decades has given the possibility that almost everyone in the ‘privileged’ part of the population of the world being able to communicate with everyone else. This is usually carried out on completely unmoderated platforms and calls to control or even censor these are hopelessly unrealistic.
Things can only improve if society wakes up and realizes that untold damage is being done as generations are growing up for whom the mobile phone is their world and takes the place of all other social interaction and behaviour. The starting point could be when public figures such as broadcasters, politicians, sports personalities, instead of exploiting social media for their own ends, decry its use and instead advise that the solution is to refuse to have any public facing personal accounts whatsoever. In the narrower social circles that previously existed we had a clear understanding often called manners. Behaving in a well-mannered or ill-mannered way was recognised even if not always practiced. I very much doubt whether anything similar could work in this much broader context. We can only hope so.
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Wasn’t it Kierkegaard who wrote ‘Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.’
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Yes, somebody near to me shows us every evening their dinner.
In Manchester dinner would be cold by the evening. 
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I often use the Like button as an acknowledgement. And also as an agreement or even to note that I like something.
I use a few other social media platforms.
I used Twitter a lot. But it’s noticeable that it absorbs your time and often isn’t very helpful. Lots of people saying how bad things are doesn’t help your mental state. I took a break for a few months and now dip in semi-regularly. It’s really useful for up to the minute information. But also up to the minute disinformation.
I moved on to Instagram as I like taking pictures. It was great. Recently they seem to be trying to destroy the original product and half my feed is videos I have no wish to watch. A classic example of a company not understanding what their USP is.
I’m too old to use Tik Tok
Facebook? Nah
I just signed on to FB - created a new account for one thing only: following Ese and The Vooduu People. I use the like button there a lot!
Hoping that making it specific to the band I’ll be out of the FB main stream…