I think there are a few different modes that people use it in (and I'm sure the folks at Instagram have this down to a more precise science):
* Consumer-only: simply following artists/whatever and not contributing anything
* Family and friends: Sharing pictures of your holiday/kid/cat/food with people you know
* Influencers and wannabe influencers: Actively seeking to grow an audience
I don't think between 1 & 2 anyone can say one is better than the other, they're two quite different modes of using the app. Number 2 obviously can lead to people wondering why their 15th funny picture of their cat didn't get as many likes, and it's for this group that I think turning off likes altogether can help the most.
I would expect, though, that if everyone in a family-and-friends circle were turning off their likes, comments would become a proxy for likes, and there would be an expectation to add "nice!", "beautiful!" "how funny!" to posts, and then a similar feeling when posts don't get any response.
* Consumer-only: simply following artists/whatever and not contributing anything
* Family and friends: Sharing pictures of your holiday/kid/cat/food with people you know
* Influencers and wannabe influencers: Actively seeking to grow an audience
I don't think between 1 & 2 anyone can say one is better than the other, they're two quite different modes of using the app. Number 2 obviously can lead to people wondering why their 15th funny picture of their cat didn't get as many likes, and it's for this group that I think turning off likes altogether can help the most.
I would expect, though, that if everyone in a family-and-friends circle were turning off their likes, comments would become a proxy for likes, and there would be an expectation to add "nice!", "beautiful!" "how funny!" to posts, and then a similar feeling when posts don't get any response.