written by: Lauren Kinchen
Instagram has been ranked worst social media platform for user’s mental health and wellbeing. Action needs to be taken to create a more positive internet experience before it is too late for the younger generation. The solution is as close as the reach of our smartphones! There are two easy ways Instagram can change their platform for the better… ready??
media regulators.
prioritize positive posting.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE.
In a recent survey conducted by RSPH (Royal Society for Public Health) fourteen health and wellbeing issues were brought to light from collecting data from fifteen hundred young people ages fourteen to twenty-four. A few of the issues addressed were: sleep deprivation, loneliness, body image, self identity, anxiety, and depression. This is the result of the nations response to social media; this is a cry for help. In addition, users begin “like seeking” in an effort to receive the reciprocal response. There is little intentionality, and like for like in return is what drives many Instagram users. It no longer seems to be about preference for a photo, but more so just trying to reach a certain number of likes each time you post. All These effects resulting from being active on Instagram are a really big deal and really affect a person. They alter the way people view each other and the way people communicate in relationships. Not addressing the overarching issues will lead individuals into dark mental states that will seem impossible to escape. Mental health professionals are saying Instagram is not only toxic but more so addicting. Shirley Cramer is CEO at the Royal Society for Public Health and responds
“(social media)…is now so entrenched in the lives of young people that it is no longer possible to ignore it when talking about young people’s mental health issues.”
The harmful effects need to be taken as seriously as drug and alcohol addiction in order to place severity and a need for action in the heads of the Instagram community and management. The community’s mental health is at stake.
Not only are the majority of citizen users feeling the deep pressures of Instagram but the elites of our society are also falling into the mental health downfall. Selena Gomez is one of the most followed icons on Instagram and in her testimony of addressing her mental health she admits to her struggles that stem from her Instagram account. Gomez explains,
“it had become so consuming to me. It’s what I woke up to and went to sleep to. I was an addict, and it felt like I was seeing things I didn’t want to see, like it was putting things in my head that I didn’t want to care about.”
She then begins to explain how she felt poorly after seeing everyone’s perfectly portrayed lives through the app, where she then began to question her own level of happiness she was experiencing in her life. Additionally, Gomez speaks on the notion that Instagram provides too much information into one another’s lives and feels that in a way it disconnects us as humans and takes away from the experience of living. Instagram does not provide genuine depictions into a person’s life and creates unrealistic expectations our society feels it must meet. Trying to find joy and meet these standards is nearly impossible, each moment feeling out of reach. Everyone is feeling the pressure.
I have felt the pressures of Instagram in my own life. I have watched my friends ruin a picture perfect moment and turn it into a photoshoot for the perfect photo for their instagram feed when we are experiencing some of the most beautiful places on Earth. I have witnessed sadness over not receiving enough likes; I have heard friends say they feel like they are not beautiful because their picture did not get enough likes. I have also seen girls think themselves superior to others because they have a higher following on Instagram. The inaccuracies and desolation in these moments have been unbearable and weigh heavy on an individual. I have felt exhausted in trying to keep up with these expectations of posting and liking on Instagram;
when I was in highschool I used to worry so much about creating a certain image on my feed and I wanted everyone to think a certain way about me.
This breds such inauthentic depictions and just creates a shallow, unfulfilling life. When you prioritize how you want others to view you, you lose yourself, and you miss out on really incredibly experiences. I have lost moments and I have watched really special encounters become a fight for who looks better at what angle. Instagram must make changes and encourage users to live their lives to the fullest, and share with friends of course, but not prioritize the picture for the priceless experience. And honestly, the solutions are not far-fetched to create little victories across the platform for the Instagram community.
Implementing media regulators for the Instagram app is the start to a ripple of positivity for its users. Shirley Cramer, the chief executive of RSPH, points out that
This is as simple as hiring and sourcing specific members of the Instagram employees to create restrictions that promote authenticity and positivity. Instagram claims to have begun to create a “Wellbeing Team” that’s sole purpose is the mental health of the social media community. Putting this idea into action is all Instagram would need to do to create a better environment for its users. Simple initiatives the group speaks on are adding watermarks to posts that have been altered and that are not showing the individuals true image. This will discourage users to alter their body in photos and will promote more authenticity among the community. In addition, there was the idea to remove the likes on photos. This simple change in code would take the pressure over what to post, at what time, and bring focus back to just wanting to share great content amongst friends. Also, screen time alerts should be implemented to show users when they have been on the app more than the average healthy user. This will encourage the community to disconnect from the virtual world and return attention to the beauty of reality. The best thing is that all these changes can happen overnight and for no additional expense; that is the beauty of technology. Change is possible at the click of a button.
Social media has the possibility to benefit users suffering with their mental health. Creating this positive atmosphere will create a community for those suffering that have the power to create a support group, reach more users in a shorter and more efficient amount of time, and encourage others to reach out for help. Promoting mental health could also be achievable if Instagram would pay users with high follower counts to promote the importance of self love and mental health. As well as, using the tool to direct users to community outreaches that can be positive to join in and be a part of. Creating positive opportunities and a community for people to feel a part of could substantially increase the mental health of the platform as a whole.
Implementing these small yet substantial notions can create the biggest impact on our society. Most likely you or someone you care about have been active on the site and have been witness to sometimes negative situations or feelings associated with the platform. Implement change for yourself, for your best friend, your little siblings, the random cashier at the supermarket. We need to look out for one another and get out of our heads and start giving back to the community we inhabit.
Instagram and its users need to take advantage of having the ability to spread positivity worldwide in a matter of seconds.
At the end of the day, the big picture is to create a more loving, encouraging, and safe environment for everyone on the planet. The mental health of so many depend on it.
Mental Health Awareness 