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In this paper I offer a philosophical analysis of the act of ‘liking’ a post on social media. First, I consider what it means to ‘like’ something. I argue that ‘liking’ is best understood as a phatic gesture; it signals uptake and anoints the poster’s positive face. Next, I consider how best to theo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhilosophy (London) Vol. 96; no. 3; pp. 335 - 358
Main Author McDonald, Lucy
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.07.2021
Subjects
Communication
Defamation
Internet
Politics
Social capital
Social networks
Willingness to communicate
Online AccessGet full text
ISSN0031-8191
1469-817X
DOI10.1017/S0031819121000152

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Summary:In this paper I offer a philosophical analysis of the act of ‘liking’ a post on social media. First, I consider what it means to ‘like’ something. I argue that ‘liking’ is best understood as a phatic gesture; it signals uptake and anoints the poster’s positive face. Next, I consider how best to theorise the power that comes with amassing many ‘likes’. I suggest that ‘like’ tallies alongside posts institute and record a form of digital social capital. Finally, I consider whether ‘likes’ have ultimately improved online discourse. I argue that while the ‘liking’ function itself is relatively innocuous, public ‘like’ tallies introduce a corrosive motivation to online communication. By making the prospect of increased social capital perpetually salient to us, they encourage us to prioritise high levels of engagement over meaningful engagement.
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ISSN:0031-8191
1469-817X
DOI:10.1017/S0031819121000152