Cardi B is known for broadcasting her opinions on Instagram, which is why the rapper had a lot to say when the social media giant’s CEO Adam Mosser announced they will begin hiding likes for some accounts in the United States. She said that instead of hiding like counts, it would be more beneficial if Instagram began removing comments, or at least barring the ability to like comments.
The rapper shared her opinion in a video posted on her Instagram page. “This is just my opinion,” she wrote in the caption. “I mean, what makes you feel more insecure: getting no likes or people constantly giving opinions about you, your life, and topics?” She then explained her reasoning for why Instagram should remove comments instead of likes.
Cardi began by pointing out like counts have been around since Instagram started. “It’s a big ruckus right now that the likes on Instagram are getting taken away,” she said. “So, from the beginning of Instagram, we had likes. And I feel like, in the beginning of Instagram, everything was so fun, people wanted to post their pictures, get likes. Where I think that Instagram got a little nasty, and it just took a weird turn, was when people started to like the comments — when they were allowed to like comments or reply back to somebody’s comments.”
Cardi B explained that often times, trolls use the comment section of social media to sharply critique the actions of others just to get a reaction. “That’s when I feel like when people started sayin’ nasty things out of hand,” she continued. “Somebody would just say something so vile because they want comments back,” she explained. “Some people don’t have a life … I see a lot of people dedicate they time into saying the most craziest, most absurd sh*t on comments, just for likes and comments back. And I feel like that’s what’s messing up Instagram and that’s what’s distracting people. It also makes people not have a voice, not have an opinion.”
Cardi B ended the video by summarizing her stance. “So, if anything is affecting Instagram right now, it’s how the comments have been done or have been changing these past few years. People have been saying the most weirdest sh*t, been starting the craziest arguments, been starting to race-bait, all because of comments. Because they want to get to the top, they want to get reactions. The comments affect more than the likes.”
Instagram has already rolled out its like-hiding initiative in seven countries including Brazil, Japan, and Canada. Mosser said users who post a photo will still be able to see how many likes they received, but the public won’t. “The idea is about young people,” he said. “The idea is to try to de-pressurize Instagram — make it less of a competition, give people more space to connect with people they love, things that inspire them. But it’s really focused on young people.”
Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. .
