Social media is a huge part of almost any millennial’s life. Sometimes it even appears that people are interconnected more so on social media than in real life. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram – you name it, everyone is always peeping what their friends, acquaintances, and that random girl you met at that lame house party and just HAD to follow on Instagram are doing.
Don’t get me wrong – social media is a great tool, but like anything it has its pros and cons. One con of this worldwide phenomenon is that it is a big factor with issues such as low self-esteem, depression, and body dismorphia due to a judgment of self-worth based on likes. Instagram has been a huge platform for hashtags and pictures that leads to different dieting crazes and influenced the mental health state of people all over the world.
Although many hashtags, such as #thinspo (an abbreviation for thinspiration) were previously banned on Instagram, this application has taken an additional step in ensuring that mental health is something that must be taken care of just like physical health. Recently, a new update was released that will allow users to flag content that they find concerning. This will send an anonymous message to the user saying “Someone saw one of your posts and thinks you might be going through a difficult time. If you need support, we’d like to help.” This will then present three options for getting help: talking to a friend, calling a support line or getting tips and support. A list of resources and support will also be available if a user tries to search a banned hashtag. This is a great feature and one that will hopefully catch on with other social media platforms. Spread the word and watch out for your friends – in person and online.