Do you check your Instagram as soon as you wake up in the morning? Do you feel compelled to see how many likes or comments your post has received? Do you find yourself scrolling for hours through reels and stories? I wonder if you have ever stopped for a moment and reflected how all this browsing is affecting you?
Instagram is a social media platform that focuses on imaged based content such as photos and videos. It has become one of the most popular social networking platforms (particularly with young adults) and is used by many for work and/or social. As much as it may be fun, used for social networking or to help grow your business, studies have shown that Instagram has the most negative impact on young people’s mental wellbeing out of all the social media networks and that Instagram addiction is linked with a negative effect on mental health.
Instagram has an endless feed of new content to read and scroll through which can become addictive and it is hard to not compare yourself with what you see. Comparing popularity, professional or social status, body image or appearance can affect your self-esteem, increase anxiety and cause depression and body dissatisfaction. Perhaps the images you are looking at are filtered, giving you a distorted view of reality, but you are believing them. Depending how you use Instagram, prolonged and regular use of it can negatively affect your mental health and well-being.
Click here to read how to reduce the negative impact of Instagram on your mental health.
For further help and coping strategies, visit my website www.therapyhere.co.uk and get in touch alison@therapyhere.co.uk.