China’s social media may hold lessons for Facebook in reducing pressure to chase ‘likes’

In China, the world of social media is no longer just about taking a snapshot and clicking the “post” button. It has become a stressful daily activity in the world’s most populous nation, as users spend more time online obsessing over the “likes” they get and what other people are posting.

That has prompted the country’s giant platforms to rethink their efforts on driving user stickiness and check the potential damaging effect of excessive social media interaction. Both WeChat, the country’s leading mobile messaging service and social network, and Weibo already have initiatives in place to help users limit the time they are visible online, a strategy which their Western counterparts are starting to pursue.

These social media platforms are ahead of the likes of Facebook in relieving the stress experienced by people online when comparing their posts with others, according to Zhang Dingding, an independent internet industry commentator.

“Social networks and their users are now going through this phase of development,” said Zhang, who was the former head of Beijing-based research firm Sootoo Institute. He said social media users in China are slowly maturing, “expecting their platforms to provide real value [to their lives]”.

The efforts in China not only further shine a light on the effect of social media on mental health, which has been documented in many studies, but also indicate how the country’s platforms are taking a different approach to keep users and attract new ones.