The psychology of "Likes"

We are living in the world of likes and dislikes more than ever before. Social media made liking the one thing many people strive for. We should have been a progressive community caring less about who likes and who does not. But unfortunately FACEBOOK, WHATSAPP AND LINKEDIN ended up complicating our lives more each year. Now there are people who pass every hour studying how many liked what they posted and who those people are !

So there are many types of Likes that people click and post. At times a like is a like, just as a rose is a rose, but many times it is far from a real like. So here is a small attempt made on deciphering the LIKE PHENOMENON

1) Yeah Like - you accept it and it resonates with you. Or it amazes you perhaps..but in a good way. Is the most factual like, if simply put. It may also be one of those that does not impress you knocking off your socks, but was okay to like anyway.

2) WTF Like - The article, picture or video shocks you, angers you or messes up your day, but it was important information.

3) Pressure Like - many others liked it, especially those people you commonly know. Darn! You don't see anything to like about it, but social protocol says you should, so you send out that cursory Like.

4) Relationship Like - The like you give because you are good friends, colleagues or relatives . You don't want them to scan who all liked and see you didn't. So you do.

5) Patronising Like - something is really nothing. You have done, seen, been doing so much better, but one much encourage the other. It comes from a place of superiority complex. The egging on of a fledgling.

6) Blanket Like - associated with pictures most often. Only kids and babies get this one or pictures from a wedding...else grand parents. This does not consider beauty, picturesque location, lights nothing and is usually the most non competitive of likes.

7) BB Like - Now this one is soaked in venom, competition, despise, jealousy and angst too but a like has to be delivered so the reality of emotions stays camouflaged. Someone posts a pic of a New sexy car, house, position, company acquired whatever....and a very green person puts up that like seeing RED! Bloody b#*ch / Bloody Ba#*#rd is what it really eeezz. Comes from the seat of an inferiority complex

8) Impression like - this one is the worst and by far the most complex of LIKES. A person is not in agreement, knows revealing true views and ideas may cost reputation, image, job or many other social positions. So likes something just to protect image. Not putting a like there may show a track record of being indifferent and indifference is no sign. Does not help image. When they want to be seen of being a certain type....something has to be done or said. So they compel themselves to distribute likes to things they Don't stand by, creating a perception for self that is furthest from the truth.

9) Hajri Like - used a Hindi word that means attendance. Thougt it suited best. This like is like signing the attendance register. You are known to be online a lot or not a lot...so clicking LIKE to about letting the Poster (one who posts. Created a new word) know you read it.

10) Quid Pro Quo Like - I will like yours because you liked mine and If I liked yours then I am hoping you will like mine. This unspoken arrangement will snap when one does not return the favour.

Am sure you will enjoy reading on the subject of "the thumbs up" . I applied Psychology to comprehend LIKES better and soon will share the PSYCHOLOGY of NO LIKES.