Study shows what people look for before 'liking' a photo on Instagram (2024)

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Study shows what people look for before 'liking' a photo on Instagram? ›

Researchers found people liked images with a diversity of light and color, but not too much and not too little. People also prefer pictures that are very simple or very complex. Marketing firms hope this research will help businesses and brands gain more traction on social media.

Every time you see a bigger number of likes, your brain initiates the huge increase of the hormone called dopamine. It is commonly known as a hormone of happiness. Remember that feeling when you eat chocolate, kiss your beloved one, drink a fine co*cktail, or smell your favorite aroma? That's what dopamine does.

Visuals help tell a more compelling story that our brains can interpret faster than the written word. The human brain can process images in as little as 13 milliseconds – 60,000 times faster than text, the average attention span is 8 seconds, and 65% of us are visual learners.

People care about Instagram likes because they want to be noticed, acknowledged, and admired. There's no better way to achieve it than through Instagram, especially if your snaps go viral in minutes. Alas, you have to have a massive following for that.

People like to see a wide variety of content on Instagram, but here are some popular types: Photos and Videos of Scenery: People love to see beautiful landscapes, sunsets, cityscapes, and other types of scenery on Instagram. Food: People enjoy seeing pictures and videos of delicious food on Instagram.

Whether or not you can see Instagram likes, they're still an important engagement signal for the Instagram algorithm. Likes can help your posts get seen — here's how to get more of them.

Over time, the nucleus accumbens adapts to the dopamine response, requiring increasing stimulation. This may come in the form of seeking more likes, comments, shares, or spending an increasing amount of time using social media technologies, even at the peril of our safety and the safety of others while driving.

A 'like,' 'comment,' or 'share' on social media triggers the same dopamine-driven reward pathways in the brain that are activated by eating food, winning money, or even taking some drugs. When someone likes your photo or post, your brain receives a hit of dopamine, making you feel pleasure or satisfaction.

It has to do with our visual perceptions, the lack of depth, frames of reference, and other scientific stuff, but the bottom line is that when the eyes of a person in a portrait are looking straight out, then when you walk around that portrait the eyes will seem to crrrrreeeeeeepily follow you everywhere you go.

Camera lenses distort images, and that can make some people look worse in photos than others. When you take a selfie, you're usually pretty close to the lens, so you're going to see some distortion in your face. Pictures taken from farther away will be truer to how you really look.

Is liking an Instagram post flirting? ›

“Someone liking your old pics and commenting on your stories are small forms of flirting on Instagram,” she says.

#3: Drive Conversations with Engaging Captions

Instagram has confirmed comments and likes are important when it comes to feed ranking — so it's a good idea to encourage as many as possible for your posts. One of the best ways to do this? Write strong captions that drive engagement.

Posts with more likes are considered to be more engaging and are more likely to be shown to more users. This means that if a post has a lot of likes, it is more likely to be seen by more people and to generate more engagement.

Instagram doesn't allow users to see who views their profile. So if you look through someone's profile and don't like or comment on a post, there's no way for them to know who sees their pictures.

In conclusion, while virality and like numbers can provide a temporary hit of dopamine, they can also lead to negative effects on self-esteem and well-being. It is important to counteract these effects by prioritizing self-acceptance and self-care, and finding fulfillment outside of social media.

Firstly, it's important to note that liking an Instagram Story can mean different things to different people. For some, liking a story is a simple gesture of appreciation, while for others, it could be seen as a flirtatious gesture.

However, multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. Social media may promote negative experiences such as: Inadequacy about your life or appearance.