Instagram rolls out new comment feature: ‘Bullying is back’

Instagram users don't “love” this change.

Meta-owned social media platforms appear to be testing new features that allow users to “hate” comments, but the tool has been accused of promoting bullying and negativity.

Various social media apps, Instagrammers Shared screenshots Their comments section featuring newly added arrows.

“Can I post comments on Instagram or make you dislike them?” One X user I wrote it along with the screen grab in her comments section.

“Another feature they give you something nobody wants” appears to hint at recent changes made to the app, such as posts on vertical grids and looking at reels that friends like. .

“People are already indifferent. We definitely don't need that feature,” someone else agreed.

“I hate that feature. It makes people sad and uneasy. I don't like people being mean. I blamed another user.

“It requires cyberbullying to another level,” lamented one person. Instagram.

“It seems like they want to continue to see us argue and hate each other,” X user wrote. Daily Mail.

“Everyone already hates it. Why give it more features to enable it?” another commented.

“Oh, the law. So, let's make your mental health even worse by adding things you don't like, in addition to being obsessed with PPL,” someone else said.

But not everyone is uncomfortable.

“I can finally hate full-time,” rejoiced one person. Instagram.

“The bullying is back,” he congratulated another person.

“I'm all trolling!” someone else wrote.

“Why don't you just comment and not post?” Written by one thread user. “I loved YouTube's hater button. One of the worst decisions they made was to get rid of it. Nowadays, the video can get millions of “hate” views, and most of them are People don't have any ideas. ”

A spokesman for Meta posted that the company is “working on ways to give people better control over their Instagram experience and helping them see what they see on the app.”

“We're testing a new button next to each comment on the reel or feed post. People don't feel good about that particular comment or they don't realize that a small group of people will start. I will tell you,” he said in a statement from the spokesman.

“You can also later test moving these comments down in the comments section to create a better experience.”

Instagram account Popscope claimed that the purpose of the new feature was to “provide users, particularly content creators, with tools to manage and mitigate toxic or harsh comments on posts.”

“By dislike comments, creators can potentially reduce their vision and ensure a more positive interaction environment for their audience,” Popscope argued.

Unlike the heart button that appears along with the number of comments, the number of comments you dislike is private.

The rollout comes after CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced backlash after he abandoned fact-checking capabilities across the meta platform.

“We will return to our roots, focusing on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platform,” Zuckerberg announced in a video last month.

That is, the app eliminates “restrictions on topics such as immigration and gender that have no contact with mainstream discourse.”

“What started as a move to be more inclusive has been increasingly used to shut down opinions and keep people out of different ideas,” he said.