In business, there are two ways to gain large amounts hits on social media uploads: 1. Actually be a popular, established business 2. Deceptively pull some strings behind the scenes. There are a number of free apps, all under nearly the same name, which carry out the same purpose: serving dozens of likes from random people to your post at the press of a button. However, using this button comes at a cost: liking the posts of other random people for digital currency. When one submits a post to this service, it is thrown into a pool of pictures, tweets, and statuses that are in need of likes, and those looking to gain in-app money slap their approval at posts without thought.

THE GOOD

Who wouldn’t want to have a like counter rivaling that of celebrities? Everyone knows that high numbers of likes sends out the message that you are important and sought after. It’s like an elevation of social status that can be easily achieved. If you are a business, increased likes means appearing more established and trusted. Users are more likely to like content on their own if they first notice that many others have before them. Shockingly, this “high end” promotion somehow comes free of charge.

THE BAD

The madness involved in gaining in-app credit is comparable to that when opening fire on a gaggle of swarming airborne geese. Only one unit of currency is gained from liking a post, therefore necessitating tapping your screen like a maniac to achieve the goal in an efficient amount of time. You can also choose to skip a post, which is a good idea that is rarely utilized. Think about it: anyone can throw content into that pool of like-thirsty posts. Imagine you are feverishly prodding your screen, paying little attention to what content you are endorsing, and Adolf Hitler with a swastika pops up. Whoops; looks like your business just endorsed genocide and discrimination. If you happen to be using an app like this, please take your time and skip vulgar and offensive content. After all, you are pinning your company name on that post for anyone to see. These like-gaining services dehumanize the act of liking. In nature, one would only be found double tapping or favoriting posts which contained content that directly resonated to them. However, no additional discernment is put into fraternizing with the posts of complete strangers as long as it ends with a little shameful self promotion. Upon noticing that your likes are farmed, viewers may perceive your company as desperate and inauthentic for obvious reasons.

And on an intimate note, don’t use like-generators on your personal social media accounts. Everyone knows you didn’t get 150 likes on that selfie within 5 minutes of uploading. You live in Grove City.

THE VERDICT

Like-farming services look sort of like the face of Batman’s Two-Face: good and bad are both clearly showing, but the unsavory partition just trumps all else. If you ask me, the cheap sense of popularity and self value is not worth appearing cheap and wasting time. This is an article about a darker way to achieve social media hits, and I urge you, dear reader, to check out one on legitimate ways to gain a following.

One last message from grandpa: social media and the internet may be the future, but there will always be a tangible world surrounding your lit-up screen, and that can never be replaced.