Another user Ellie Thompson wrote: "This Singapore location thing on Instagram proves how much people only care about likes."
Singapore-based digital strategist Anna Lee described it as the "Singapore boost".
"Having a large number of likes on your Instagram posts feels good and being featured on the Explore page is a great way to find new followers," Ms Lee told BBC News.
She added that she was "puzzled" as to why the tiny city-state in particular added such a boost.
"It is probably just a fad and will pass. The only way to continually engage and enlarge your fan base boils down to having interesting content that will add value for your followers." location.