Instagram has been acknowledged as one of the leading social media sites in the industry. Businesses, companies, and brands can testify of the increase in sales and reach as they daily use it to interact with their audiences. However, there has been some ill associated with the social media network, especially when it comes to bullying, self-expression, and anxiety. Teens and young adults have gone to great lengths to establish themselves as different personas online. They make use of Instagram growth service providers to grow their reach, neglecting real life and leading to adverse effects on their mental health.
Instagram has made strides to tackle the issue of the mental health of users. The platform has tasked an entire team dubbed as the “Wellbeing Team” committed to helping the Instagram community. In this article, we break down some of the efforts of the team.
A dark history
Studies have shown that people, especially teens and young adults, spend over two hours a day on social media. As they peruse, read, comment and like, the content on the platforms take root in their mind. Being a highly visual media site, many accounts and brands focus on highly appealing and aesthetically stunning content. The expectations set can create feelings of despair and comparison. Users feel inadequate as they compare their lives with that of people their age who are always on holidays or enjoying life in one way or another.
Instagram’s efforts
We must appreciate the fact that the Wellbeing team cannot be able to ‘police’ the entirety of the content on Instagram. With hundreds of thousands of users per minute, that is an impossible task. The team, therefore, acts on anonymous reports of posts that may be inappropriate.
Instagram has installed content moderation tools and features that are proving to be quite effective. The tools filter comment that may be abusive or inappropriate. The author of the content also can create filters. These tools could come quite in handy as they protect both the author and also the audience from malicious content.
However, there is only so much that Instagram and the Wellbeing team can do. The platform’s bread and butter (like any other social media site) are based on self-expression. It allows users to share their opinion on anything or anyone. Therefore, Instagram might be a bit shy to install or employ features that would stifle such. It is a tricky situation. Should they censor content or possibly lose a significant number of accounts? Are users bound to an entire lifetime of social pressures?
In conclusion
We must acknowledge that there are some benefits when working on or with social media. But we must not be unaware of the burden that it places on our mental health. The onus lies with you. It is your responsibility to protect your mind and those of your loved ones.
Take time and unplug from social media. It can be a prison if not careful.