You don’t need to look far for criticisms of how Instagram has impacted users’ mental health.
Which begs the question: is the platform doing enough to protect users’ mental health? And if not, what can they do?
This article will explore the topic further.
A Quick Overview of New Features
In 2021, Instagram started rolling out additional features it said would help protect its users.
This includes a test on hiding users’ like counts on their posts. The platform has run tests for this in the past. Most notably, it tried the feature in Canada, the UK, Japan, and other countries in 2019.
When running these tests in the past, Instagram has explored making likes hidden on all users’ accounts.
However, this time, it’s looking to see if people would benefit more from having the choice. If they want to hide the feature, they can; if they don’t, there’s no obligation.
During April 2021, the same month that the new likes tests got underway, the platform introduced new measures to protect users from abuse.
In collaboration with anti-discrimination organizations, the company developed a list of vulgar terms and ways to use emojis in a derogatory manner. Messages containing terms on this list will be filtered out from the individual’s inbox, meaning they don’t see it.
The tool was developed in the wake of high-profile cases on the platform in which professional athletes in the UK received racial abuse on Instagram.
Around the same time, Instagram also announced that it would roll out a super-blocking feature. With this, users could block an individual on not just one account but also all others they create after that.
What Is Instagram Doing Well?
Most of the criticism Instagram gets around its effect on mental health is warranted. But at the same time, the platform has made some strides towards improving potential harm to users.
When Instagram launched its Guides feature in 2020, the platform also dedicated its first ones to mental health awareness.
If Instagram chooses to hide likes, the platform could take a large step towards improving the mental wellbeing of users. Though it may not seem like much on the surface, likes on social media affect the human psyche more than you might think.
Receiving likes on social media can release dopamine, as noted by a review in the Journal of Neurology & Neurophysiology. This is largely because receiving a like on these platforms signals approval from others, triggering the brain's reward response.
Since dopamine feels good to your brain, it demands more. Searching for more likes means spending more time on your phone screens, which could lead to worse sleep—according to research from 2017.
Worse sleep is linked with anxiety and depression. While the solution is by no means simple, removing Instagram likes could help users to tackle these issues.
Where Could Instagram Improve?
Despite Instagram’s advancements, the platform has a long way to go when it comes to protecting users’ mental health. We all know that Instagram has a problem with bullying, but the issues don’t stop there.
Instagram can’t stop people from showing off in front of others. But the platform’s algorithms seem to actively encourage it. And by constantly seeing polished feeds and seemingly perfect lives, some users’ self-esteem can take a big hit.
The app is also addictive in nature and has only gotten worse in this respect. One of its latest attempts to rack up users’ screen time is through Reels, which is effectively its answer to TikTok.
In relation to the above, another point worth noting is the "You're All Caught Up" message that appears once you've viewed all posts from people you follow. Originally, the notification meant what it said on the tin—that you were all caught up with posts on your feed.
Now, however, that is no longer the case. When you scroll beyond this message, you see content from accounts you do not follow. As such, you can get a barrage of endless novelty when scrolling on the home feed.
And if users spend more time glued to their phones, they could neglect their real-life relationships. This can ultimately lead to a paradox of loneliness while at the same time being constantly connected.
What Can Instagram Do to Tackle These Issues?
Since advertising is becoming a more important part of the platform, offering more control over the ads people want to see could be a good start. Instagram could consider introducing a function that allows users to blacklist ads related to certain categories, such as dieting.
This could help users avoid triggers for certain mental health disorders such as eating disorders or body dysmorphia. It could also benefit users who are dealing with low self-worth. The platform could also introduce a similar feature for posts on the home feed.
As for the "You're All Caught Up" message, users should only see this message when they're all caught up with everything. In the beginning, the feature was introduced to curb scrolling habits—and that's what it should revert back to.
Removing extra content from the home feed could help improve users' mental health for two reasons. First, they'll spend less time scrolling. And secondly, they can have more control over their content if they don't want to see posts from people they don't follow.
Optimize Your Profile to Complement Any Instagram Changes
Instagram has made some strides to protect users’ mental health, especially when it comes to preventing bullying. Nonetheless, the app still has a lot of room for improvement.
When it comes to protecting mental health on Instagram, waiting for the platform to bring in new measures isn’t worth it. For all you know, what you’re looking for might be months away, if not years. And that’s if it even comes around at all.
You can use the tools at your disposal to better optimize your profile. At the same time, though, taking things into your own hands is a good idea. Unfollowing accounts that make you miserable and limiting how long you spend on the platform each day are two ways to do this.