Instagram has recently released two guides book for teens
and parents in collaboration with The Jed Foundation. Instagram aims to
educated users and parents on the possible psychological impacts of using the
app and how to use the app safely.
In an attempt to reduce comparison, the books shed light on
how the platform works and what goes behind the scenes.
As explained in the guide book for teens:
"Pressure to be Perfect is about recognizing that what
you see posted by others is just one part of their story - a single post or
video rarely reflects all that is happening behind the scenes. That realization
can help free us from the pressure of thinking we need to conform to a certain
set of standards when we post, moving from a mindset of comparing yourself with
others to one where you are thoughtfully sharing yourself with others could
help make the time you spend on Instagram more intentional and rewarding."
The Pressure to be Perfect guide also contains some quizzes
for users that help them better understand how they use the app and how they
can change it. It also comes with some
guidelines on how and why they should block certain accounts and more.
On the other hand, the guide book for parents gives them
various tips including how they can identify if their child is going through
depression or anxiety.
Instagram has actively been working for the betterment of
the mental health of its users and reduce the societal pressure of looking ‘perfect’
on the app, its step to vanish total likes count is an example.
Various studies have shown that the usage of social
media app can lead to self-esteem issues and depression in young adults due to comparison
with other users who appear ‘picture perfect’ on the platform.
Little changes can make huge differences and these measures
by Instagram are worthy of praise but we are yet to find out if they can
actually, yield noticeable results.
