No likes? No problem: Why posting your vacation photos still gives you good vibes

You're scrolling through your camera roll after a beach weekend or a long-awaited trip to Europe. You post a few snapshots to your Instagram story. A few people view them, but no one likes or comments. Still, that small act of sharing somehow feels like enough.

According to a new study, just being seen online—even without receiving any feedback—can enhance your mood, feed your self-esteem and leave you with positive memories. Researchers call this the “mere attention effect,” and it reveals something surprisingly uplifting about the way we engage with social media.

Alix Barasch

“It turns out that just being noticed can be surprisingly powerful,” said Alixandra Barasch, an associate professor of marketing at Leeds School of Business and co-author of the study, published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research in March 2025. “Attention is a limited resource, and simply knowing that someone has seen what you’ve shared—without necessarily liking or commenting—can still have a meaningful impact.”

Social media has come under intense scrutiny in recent years for its harmful effects on mental health, especially among young people. But this study suggests that not all social media use is damaging. It highlights a more positive side of online sharing—showing that even brief moments of visibility and connection can offer psychological benefits.

Being seen > being liked

Across four experiments, the researchers asked participants to imagine sharing experiences—from telling a story at a dinner party to posting a photo on social media—and then manipulated how much attention the participants believed it received. Some imagined receiving lots of views or listeners, while others received few. The researchers, including co-authors Matthew J. Hall of Oregon State University and Jamie D. Hyodo of Western University in Ontario, Canada, also tested whether feedback like likes and comments changed how people felt. 

The result? People felt just as good receiving attention alone as they did with approval—suggesting that just being seen was enough to boost self-esteem and satisfaction.

“It’s not always about the applause or the reactions,” Barasch said. “The fact that someone is there, witnessing our experience, gives it value.”

This simple truth may explain our social media posts about the mundane—like a photo of our morning coffee or a walk in the park.

“It helps explain why we share even the most routine parts of our day,” Barasch said, “because it gives them extra value.”

Why views still matter

While much of the social media conversation focuses on external validation—chasing likes, curating perfect images and comparing follower counts—this study offers a different take.

“The attention itself is enough,” Barasch explained. “What really matters is knowing someone spent time on your content—even without clicking like.”

That’s likely why people return to check who viewed their stories, even if they don’t consciously care about engagement.

“There’s that dopamine hit from just knowing people watched—that we’ve been seen,” Barasch said.

Social media and memory

The study also found that being seen affects not just how we feel about ourselves, but how we remember the experiences we share.

“Most of our utility is retrospective,” Barasch said. “The way we remember our lives—our trips, our moments—matters more than we think.”

Even if attention doesn’t help you remember new details, it can change the focus of your memory.

“Let’s say you had a trip to France. Some days were perfect, others rainy and frustrating,” she said. “Posting and receiving attention would likely shift your focus toward the positive moments—like drinks on a sunny patio with your best friends.”

In this way, attention not only builds self-esteem in the moment, it makes our memories more positive.

“This research shows a spillover: if people pay attention to me, I feel better socially. And that can actually change how I feel about the experience I shared,” she said.

Constructing identity in the digital age

Barasch emphasized that digital attention has become a key part of how people construct their identities.

“We’re always trying to understand ourselves—and now, so much of that happens through digital attention,” she said. “It’s another way we connect with people.”

And while social media shouldn’t be the only way we build self-worth, it’s a meaningful addition to how we understand ourselves, she added.

The research also has implications for marketers. It suggests that when consumers post about brand-related experiences and receive views, even without feedback, they may remember the experience more positively, buy the product again and say nice things about it. To make the most of this, marketers could design packaging or create events that are “share-worthy” and share consumer photos or posts about a product on their own platform. 

“This research has real value for companies,” Barasch said. “The positive spillover from social self-esteem can shape how consumers remember brand experiences—like drinking a personalized Coke—long after the moment has passed.”

So if you’re wondering whether to post that vacation photo—even if no one double-taps—go ahead. Just sharing it might be enough to lift your mood and make the moment last a little longer.