When Facebook introduced its “like” button, the idea was liked across the social networking site. The lazy ones liked it because instead of having to undertake the arduous task of having to type “hot” or “awesome” or even “nice” in the comments box, they could just click on the button and carry on with their task of liking posts, links and status messages all over the place. Then, of course, are there are those people who do take the trouble of keying in “hot,” “awesome” or even “nice”.

But do these “likes” or comments mean anything? I took such reactions on my Facebook page at face value till I came across something quite perchance.

On a link to a write-up on my personal site that I had posted on Facebook, there were 100-odd “likes” and comments. But when I checked the stats on my site, I was a bit surprised. And pleasantly at that. I found that only 11 hits had come from Facebook. There are, after all, certain advantages you have if you own a website and know how to track visitor stats. I also noticed that in seven of these 11 hits, the visitor had spent less than five seconds on the site.

In other words, more than 90 per cent of those who had “liked” or commented on that link had done so without even reading my piece. I initially did not know whether to tear my already falling-off hair, or go rolling down in peals. I settled for a smile to myself, and let out one of my favourite expletives.

Still enough I needed to be sure this was not a one-off case. I checked reactions on another link of mine and tallied with the site stats. The pattern was the same.

Since then I have not been taking these reactions seriously when it comes to posts, or notes. Especially the “like” tool. To be fair to this button, it does have its advantages. If you see a video you like, you can indeed click on it. Or even a status message, perhaps. There’s a lot to like on Facebook if you mean it.

Beyond that, only that minority five per cent (of those who react) are those who matter. Like it or not.

Subir Ghosh is a New Delhi-based independent journalist and writer. He has worked with the Press Trust of India (PTI),  The Telegraph, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). He specialises in Northeast affairs and is an advisory council member with the Centre for Northeast Studies (C-NES). He is the author of ‘Frontier Travails: Northeast – The Politics of a Mess’ and has won two national awards in children’s fiction. His interests include conflict, ethnicities, wildlife, human rights, poverty, media, and cinema. He blogs at www.write2kill.in