Facebook beginning to test Reactions, a much easier way to express yourself

Facebook has been toying with the idea of adding a ‘dislike’ button to its posts for some time, though the company thought the idea could use some work. CEO Mark Zuckerberg raised his concerns last month about adding a ‘dislike’ button to the social network, in fear that users would use the button as a way to downvote posts rather than to express empathy.

Today we’re getting our first look at the new feature the company has been working on. Facebook has just announced that it’s now testing Reactions, which can be thought of as a more expressive Like button. Instead of liking or disliking a certain post, Reactions will allow you to choose between a number of different emotions, including love, awe, humor and sadness. You can access the new Reactions by long pressing on the Like button, and selecting your desired emotion from there.

Facebook has begun testing Reactions in Ireland and Spain. Since this is a pretty substantial new feature, the company says it will learn from the testing period and make adjustments to the feature before it rolls out to other regions.

What are your thoughts on Reactions? Do you think you’ll use this feature when it launches in your region, or are you planning on sticking with the simple Like button?