Will Privacy be the Next Luxury?

Flaunting our lives on Instagram has become as popular in Gen Z culture as going vegan, having a Netflix subscription or owning a Chilli water bottle. But as mental health concerns exacerbate and a rising number of stars quit the app, it's got us wondering: is Instagram really our future? Or will the generations to come opt for a life of privacy over a quest for perfection?

 It's nearly a decade since Facebook's protigé came and revolutionised our lives. And for its 1 billion+ users, the prospect of a world without the Gram seems pretty unfathomable.

These days if we want to update everyone on our whereabouts, we can do so effortlessly by uploading all our favourite snaps straight to our Insta stories. A hundred years ago however, if you fancied spreading a little holiday fomo, you would be faced with the painstaking task of jotting out a pile of postcards, only for them to arrive weeks after your return.

Monday mornings were even more of a struggle than they are today. Back then you didn't have the pick-me-up of a quick scroll through Love Island memes, the relationship goals of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynalds, and the news of Too Faced's latest palette to kickstart your day. Instead, you had to roll out of bed at the crack of dawn with not so much as a motivational quote or a gym selfie of Shawn Mendes.

And of course, if you were an entrepreneur, you couldn't rack up thousands of dollars in sales from just one sponsored post by Kylie Genner. The only marketing tools at your fingertips were word of mouth and shop front displays.

 Yet in spite of its incredible life hacks, Instagram has created complexities that didn't exist a century ago. For one thing, photos were treasured in albums or picture frames and were not removed if they received few comments. There was no Facetune or Snapspeed, and the only purpose for a filter was to make coffee. Trolls were just these make belief creatures that roamed in books. And as for likes: they were a sign of appreciation, not a digital price-tag of our own self-worth.

When I think of Instagram, I see it as being a lot like Jk Rowling's Diagonally and Nocturnally. On the one hand, you have this sunshiny land filled with avo toasts, pastel macaroons, unicorn inflatables and enough sparkle to make a catwalk on Rupaul's Drag Race appear understated. But with just one tap of a button or one click of a link, you can find yourself dabbling into a much darker social media maze.

According to a survey of 1,479 young people aged 14-24 years, conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health, there was a correlation between online pressures and harmful behaviours such as body shaming and disordered eating. 38% of those surveyed also said that social media had negatively impacted on their self-esteem.

Despite being ranked as the worst platform for mental health, Instagram has implemented numerous changes to clamp down on damaging content. Earlier this year the app vowed to take down all graphic images of self-harm from the site, following the suicide of Molly Russel. Back in May however, it was reported by The Times that such images were still available which shows there is still a long way to go.

Experts have also warned about the dangers of Instagram content which glamorizes eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulemia. Drawing on a BBC investigation, such insidious posts, images and hashtags are prevalent and easy to access on the platform. Their findings went on to reveal that children and young people were being exposed to weight loss images as well as forming online peer groups to exchange extreme diet advice. Both Facebook and Instagram have since announced that they will carry out a rigorous review and remove any content which promotes disordered eating. Similar to their response to the rise in self-harm content, it seems that greater measures and regulations are imperative in order to reverse the damage.

Meanwhile, trolling has been an ongoing problem since day one of social media but it looks as though Instagram has come up with a solution. The new 'are you sure?' feature is designed to make people stop and think before making an abusive comment that they will later regret. According to an international study from the OECD, analysing the experiences of 250000 teachers in 48 developed countries, UK schools were ranked as the worst for cyber bullying. It will be interesting to see if the feature helps to decrease these rates in the coming months and years. In addition it will be interesting to see this will deter 'celebs' like Katie Hopkins from sharing their controversial opinions and making the whole internet irate (though knowing Katie Hopkins, this is no doubt as likely as Britain leaving the Eurorean Union tomorrow).

Although trolling is rampant across all social media platforms, Instagram has been singled out for being the most competitive. Thanks to influencer culture, users have been placing more and more emphasis upon social engagement as opposed to content. A number of studies from the past few years have indicated that pressure for likes and followers is linked to anxiety and low self-esteem. Back in April, the app announced a new trial to reduce competition in which like counts and view counts were hidden from other users. The test which began in Canada, has since expanded to five other countries and looks set to become a permanent feature if the results are successful. On the whole, user feedback has been positive, with many commenting that a likeless Instagram helped to curb anxiety and improved mental well-being.

While these changes suggest we are moving in the right direction, I still can't help but wonder whether privacy will be the next trendy lifestyle choice. We all know that Instagram is the epicentre of viral trends. Endorsed by the mouthpieces that are our favourite influencers and celebs, we've become obsessed with re-creating kaleidoscopic hair and more brow trends than we care to count. However it seems there is a growing movement which could be set to shake up Insta's future: the social media detox. Channing Tatum, Cardi B, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato are just some of the A-listers who have quit their socials or chosen to take a prolonged breather. Their reasons for leaving have ranged from evading trolls to taking time out to focus on mental health. And it's not just Hollywood who are going old-school: it's the world of business too. In April, beauty brand Lush stated that they would be abandoning their UK social media accounts, asking their fans to only contact them via email or phone. The question is, will more and more users start to cotton on to the social media detox. And if so, will we eventually come full circle, existing in a world where Insta is a burnt-out fad?

One thing's for sure, the future of Instagram is uncertain. It's highly encouraging to see that social media platforms are starting to recognise and take ownership for their impacts on young people's mental health. And of course, used in the right way, social media is such a powerful tool for raising awareness and spreading positivity change. Notwithstanding, while I know it may be unpopular opinion, I don't believe the benefits are enough to outweigh the harmful effects. We are experiencing a mental health crisis and while Instagram is by no means the sole culprit, it is undoubtedly a team player in the development of negative well-being. If we are going to solve this epidemic, if we are going to create a better future for ourselves and for the generations to follow, perhaps it's time we cut Insta from our lives.