Should Likes Exist ?

There has been some debate around the importance of public 'likes' on social media platforms. Erving Goffman argues that likes are important in signaling which performances are ‘good’ and which ones aren’t to the user. The likes of others can very often validate a performer one knows nothing about. Performers know this, which is why they search for this validation even when it isn't quite required. In the digital age of digital age, Sherry Turkle argues that ‘Authenticity in digital age’ provides a key function of public metrics.