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.
