What is a Social Media Dislike?

A dislike (or downvote) is a way for users to express negative feedback on a piece of content, often represented by a thumbs-down (👎) button or similar icon on digital platforms. Some platforms, like YouTube, have a visible dislike button, while others use downvotes (like Reddit) or remove this feature entirely to reduce negativity.

On platforms where dislike counts are hidden (like YouTube as of recent years), users can still click the button, but the total number of dislikes is only visible to the creator. This shift aims to reduce harassment while still giving creators useful feedback.

In general, dislikes are one of many engagement signals, but they should be interpreted carefully, they don’t always mean your content is bad; sometimes they reflect strong opinions or controversial topics.