Top

The power of the Dislike button – on Facebook, of course

March 16, 2017

So far we’ve grown accustomed with the array of reactions Facebook puts at the disposal of its users. It is an almost exclusively positive array. From like to love, going through some sad emoticons, the initially monochromatic “Like” extended its reach, yet remained in the “express the positive” area. Yet, the debate related to the eventuality of a Dislike button floats somewhere in the background, without going away.

And there are rumors of the company taking this debate seriously – by introducing a Dislike button. On Messenger. Perhaps.

What is the current equivalent of a Dislike button?

What do today’s Facebook users do when they do not like a post in their News Feed? Well, due to the rush we all bask in these days, the most frequent reaction is to just scroll over what we do not like. That’s for close-to-neutral dislikes.

Nevertheless, there are things that not only do we dislike, but we also feel strongly against them. Each person has his/her values, sets of ideas, or previous experiences. We also have moods.

When we strongly dislike certain things we meet on the social network, we can either engage in commenting, or simply remove the post, or even its source, from our News Feed. I remember when, upon selecting “Hide from News Feed”, an interactive dialogue box opened up. Facebook tried to determine why a user would take action and remove that particular post from the News Feed. Not sure if this happens now, too – I did not notice it lately.

So, we have at our disposal ignoring, commenting or removing – so far. Apparently Facebook is willing to unleash the Dislike. Disliking something is a reaction – and reactions are important in marketing.

Why did Facebook reject the Dislike button before?

The official explanation mentioned that the company worried about the way the Dislike button could serve in bullying. Also, the big brands did not react well to the perspective of having such a button.

Is the fact that Facebook now considers implementing this button more that what it seems? Or are we just willing to see more in what is a simple trial? Let’s extrapolate. The Dislike button has one huge mass of fans – the users. They have requested this button for years, and they seemingly have reasons for their demand.

So, in a way, releasing the Dislike button represents making a concession – from the company, to the users. Does this mean that somewhere the numbers worry the Facebook strategists? Or such scenarios have nothing to do with the piece of news on releasing the Dislike button?

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves on the Dislike button matter

Before letting our questions meet imaginary answers, we need to set a few things clear. Facebook does not contemplate implementing the Dislike button on its main platform. The news regards Facebook Messenger. It involves chat discussions, reacting to what the interlocutors say, “sharing an emoji that best represents” people’s feelings on a message.

That is why the source from above mentions in the article’s title “it’s not where you want it yet“.

Other sources just say it out loud – in their opinion “we’ll never see a true dislike button”. This is due to the brands’ fear of backlash. No company would invest money in marketing, while standing to see its reputation brought down by such a radical tool as a Dislike button.

What is the rumored-about Dislike button function all about?

We have already clarified that Facebook considers implementing the Dislike button for its Messenger app. This is mainly due to the fact that the tech giant wants to compete with Snapchat. By tapping into a fun and dynamic communication environment, the company would increase its audience.

The problem with message threads, especially on mobile devices, is that sometimes it may prove difficult to keep track of all the replies. A simple “Yes” or “No” might not suffice, and longer, more explanatory phrases defy the purpose of faster messaging.

Whatever the outcome will be, one thing is certain. The rumors related to the Dislike button and its short-term future created quite a buzz. Since this topic is a consistent one, when it comes to this particular social network and the demands of its audience – it was an instant rumor mill success.

Can we allow ourselves some enthusiasm or not?

If a Dislike button answers your needs on Messenger, then the answer is closer to yes. Why closer? Because in 2015 Mark Zuckerberg apparently declared to the CNBC and Business Insider reporters during a Q&A session “we’re working on it (the Dislike button), and shipping it”.

What followed is a different story – in about five months, Facebook introduced Reactions. The Dislike button transformed into the completely redesigned Like button, allowing users to express an array of emotions. The bottom line, Facebook looked for ways to enable expressing empathy. In the process, the company figured out that disliking something would be the opposite of that, so all the users got are the famous Reactions.

If, on the other hand, you are one of those people who want that precise Dislike button for Facebook interactions (Messenger aside), then no, the social network is not steering into that kind of trouble.