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What the Experts Say I

Instagram is a photo-based platform and people associate it with self-expression and self-identity. However, it is associated with negative things as well. According to #StatusOfMind survey done in 2017 of almost 1,500 teens, Instagram is the worst social media for mental health and well-being. It is associated with depression, anxiety, bullying and FOMO, which means „fear of missing out“. Survey participants answered various questions about how social media platforms impacted 14 different issues related to their mental or physical health. There were some benefits such as self-expression and community building or emotional support. However, Instagram and other social media (Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter) received negative marks, too. For instance, sleep quality, bullying, body image and FOMO were mentioned and associated with increase in depression and anxiety. Some studies suggest that people who spend more than two hours a day on social media are more likely to report psychological distress when they, for example, see their friends having fun and enjoying life. Consequently, they feel as if they were missing out on something. Moreover, Instagram posts sometimes set unrealistic expectations and create feelings of low self-esteem. It makes girls and women feel as if their bodies were not good enough because people use filters and edit their pictures in order to look perfect. The Royal Society for Public Health suggests that the government can help in decreasing Instagram’s harmful effects, too. They say that „safe social media use“ should be taught at schools during health education classes and they hope to empower young adults to use social media „in a way that promotes and protects their health and well-being“ (MacMillan, 2017).

Výsledok vyhľadávania obrázkov pre dopyt anxiety


See Why Instagram Is the Worst Social Media for Mental Health for more details.

References:
MacMillan, A. (2017). Why Instagram Is the Worst Social Media for Mental Health. [online] Time. Available at: http://time.com/4793331/instagram-social-media-mental-health/ [Accessed 8 Dec. 2018].

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