After years of Facebook user requests, Mark Zuckerberg has finally announced that the social media giant will soon offer a “dislike” button.
Historically, users have used the thumbs up “like” icon as shorthand to show support for other user's posts and photos. But this positivity-only feature didn't suit all situations. For example, when bad news strikes, like the death of a pet, loss of a job, or a stolen wallet, users wanted to be able to acknowledge the unfortunate news post without giving it a thumbs up, which seems inappropriate.
So, a quicker, easier way of expressing emotion on social networks. Great news, right? Well, not everyone sees it that way. As recently as last year, Zuckerberg disliked the dislike button concept, stating that he believed it would introduce negativity to Facebook. Some users agree with that, feeling that a dislike button will lead to hurt feelings online and even cyber bullying.
So who's right? If the goal of social media is to increase user connectively and communication, a dislike button is a natural extension of online conversations. On Facebook, as in life, not everyone is going to agree with you all the time. Having a dislike feature may make users more thoughtful about what they post online and open up dialogues between users. For brands, a dislike button will be a great way to get a read on consumer feeling towards their products and posts, valuable information for any business in a competitive market.
What do you think? Is a dislike button a positive or negative addition to Facebook? Let us know your thoughts below.