Over the last two weeks, YouTube has slowly rolled out this new change. The dislike count was first spotted by users last week, causing many to question what it could mean as video creators and as viewers? You can still post your thoughts or vote against it with a 'dislike,' but the number of dislikes will only be visible to the content creator/channel owner, not other viewers.
YouTube's decision to remove the dislike count was driven in large part by creators who claimed the toxicity of the dislike count was influencing their decision to post videos. Creators had enough of the abuse from trolls who did not like what they created or said.
While the dislike counts were a source of confidence in the authenticity of video for many users, it also created a domino effect to other users in which they felt more entitled to express their opinions destructively without consequences.
In a time where we are all looking to be more sensitive to mental health, especially as it relates to social media, the removal of dislike counts can certainly lead to creators feeling more comfortable and confident about sharing their content. This leads to a more open and niche community, where ideas and thoughts can be shared without the immediate fear of trolls attacking them.
Through the removal of the dislike count, YouTube may have created more space for creators of all kinds to feel more confident about posting content that they are proud of. If this were experiment proves successful, we are likely to see similar changes on other platforms.
What do you think about this change? Will it make you more confident to create content on YouTube?
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