For many years, Facebook users have clamoured for the addition of a ‘dislike’ button. In a way, their wishes were addressed last month, when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that his team has been working on a feature akin to a dislike button. Setting aside vague debates about how this feature could lead to negativity, a new ‘empathy’ button has the potential to expand the emotional dynamics of the Facebook community.
Of course, the announcement did not come without its share of criticism. Many publications have commented on how this addition could increase cyber-bullying and general online antagonism; however, one thing Zuckerberg made clear in his announcement was that the purpose of the button would be for users to express their empathy on a sad or unfortunate post, rather than to display disdain or disagreement. According to him, the team is working to implement the feature in a way that would prevent it from being used as a way to demean or harass others. In fact, he never actually referred to the feature as a dislike button himself. Effectively, the new feature would function as more of an ‘I’m sorry’ button.
Almost everyone has been in the situation where they’ve wondered if it would be insensitive to like a friend’s post about a deceased family member or a news story about a tragic event. This is understandable as the like button by definition carries a positive connotation. It is only logical that a similar system should be developed to allow people to express their emotions towards less positive events and ideas. A button to express empathy will allow the social network to better represent both the sadness and happiness which exists in real life, making social media experience more complete. This will ultimately lead to an online experience with more room for serious discussions and awareness about a broader range of topics.
Some people are concerned that the introduction of an empathy button would make the sentiment less meaningful. Hand-in-hand with the younger generation’s penchant for digital communication is the concern that people are losing their ability to express emotions without the use of likes and emoticons, a trend that could worsen with the empathy button.
It should also be noted that just because a function is simple or easy to use, does not necessarily make it devoid of sincerity or importance. Consider the like button. There are significant social and personal implications behind it: People are able to show their support for their favorite singers, express their appreciation for a touching story, or show amiability towards their friends by liking their posts. On social media, it has almost become an instinctive reaction for people to like anything that makes them happy; in that way, they are analogous to smiles in real life. It is a social trend that allows people to collectively express their sentiments, which helps open doors for further discussion as well. The real problem is that these sentiments are currently limited to positive ones. The new feature would address this issue by serving as a supplement to the like button, further strengthening their emotional implications.
It is also important to keep in mind that without a negative counterpart, the like button will continue to devolve into a passive expression of interest. Many critics have pointed out that people can use the like button to bring attention to any post they feel is important, even if it is of a sombre nature. This introduces a lot of emotional ambiguity to the act and at worst completely devalues any feelings behind liking things, not only online but in a general sense too.
Overall, a new button expressing empathy could help introduce more emotional depth to Facebook by making it easier for its users to express their feelings towards heavier and less positive subjects while enhancing and clarifying the purpose of the current like button as well. This will lead to a more meaningful social media experience that is a more accurate reflection of the real world as well.
