While everyone can fall into the trap of spending too much time scrolling Instagram, it's important to know when your browsing goes from safe and fun to potentially addictive, harmful or upsetting.
The reality is that while social media is a great way to connect and an extensive source of inspiration, a 2017 study in the journal Addictive Behaviors indicated that young women are more likely to develop an addiction to social media than others; and more research points to major links between mental illness and social media consumption.
In order to ensure that relationships with the online world aren't souring, Women's Health UK – alongside a team of mental health experts – have put together "A Healthy Guide to Using Instagram".
Speaking on its decision to put together the guide, editor-in-chief Claire Sanderson and digital editor Amy Hopkinson said: "Research points to significant links between mental illness and the constant consumption of social media, with women increasingly affected by anxiety, low self-esteem and obsessive thoughts of comparison," therefore it's crucial to know how to use the platform in the most safe and joyful way possible.
If you have ever found yourself having an unpleasant experience on social media, below is a comprehensive list of steps to take for ensuring your Instagram usage is healthy:
Below is a comprehensive list of steps to take for ensuring your Instagram usage is healthy:
Look out for mental health triggers
A mental health trigger can be anything from a word, sentence or image that evokes and emotional response in a person; usually bringing forward particular memories or thoughts that may be traumatic.
The first steps towards avoiding triggers is working out what yours are.
UK-based psychiatrist Dr Sarah Vohra suggests taking note of every instance where social media had a negative impact on your feelings or behaviour. For example:
This way you can identify the types of content that are sparking unhealthy thoughts.
Taking steps to remove triggers from your feed:
- Muting unhelpful accounts through Instagram settings
- Remembering you are in control of your own Instagram feed and what it curates for you
Instagram also has inbuilt tools to help users avoid upsetting content. Instagram's 'Comment Controls' feature lets you list words (and even emojis) that you consider offensive, inappropriate or triggering. By filtering out these words those comments won't be shown on your posts. Further, you can block comments from certain people as well.
Not comparing yourself to others
Clinical psychologist Dr Jessamy Hibberd gives a three-step plan to avoid falling into the comparison trap:
Public vs Private
Dr Hibbered also wants you to think about whether you need to have your profile set to public. "A public profile can bring with it a need to perform or portray a certain way of being – which can bring added stress," she explains.
"Think: what’s the aim of your content being public? Are you promoting a business or a personal brand? If you’re going public to get more likes (ultimately, for validation) then be aware that it can be precarious to base your self-worth on this."
Find your people
"Seeking out a community based on your interests and passions matters", says mental health campaigner Natasha Devon. "As you scroll, your brain is taking in imagery and information and using it to build belief systems, so it’s vital that your feed reflects the values you want to live by."
Devon suggests following these three tips to building a feed you are truly passionate about:
- Search for keywords and hashtags based on the things you're interested in and follow a couple of accounts that make you feel good
- Look at who the people you admire on Instagram interact with
- Don't find your pet hates – if you don't like the content they're posting, unfollow.
Engaging on Instagram
Research has found that leaving comments and having conversations online is one of the fastest ways to make social media a positive influence on your self esteem. However, experts warn that if your first instinct is every time you feel panicked to post in order to invite supportive responses, your brain will likely send that anxious thought around again to get that same sensation.
Be wary of social media addiction
"While I can’t yet diagnose someone with social media addiction, I believe that it’s real," Dr Vohra says. "Just as someone with alcohol addiction may have a drink first thing – even though they know it is damaging their physical health – people with tendencies towards social media addiction will grab their phone as soon as they wake up, despite knowing that scrolling mindlessly first thing negatively impacts their health. Or they’ll keep posting, even if it’s making them unhappy, because they’re desperate to get more likes."
Those most likely to develop social media addiction have been found to be young women (Addictive Behaviours, 2017) and those who have a tendency towards neurotic behaviours (i.e. those who experience feelings of anxiety or stress).
Check the time
There is wildly strong evidence to advise against scrolling before bed, with a 2017 study by the University of Pittsburgh finding that engaging with social media in the last 30 minutes before bed was the strongest predictor of a poor night’s sleep – irrespective of how much time people spent online during the day.
Dr Vohra also suggests avoiding checking social media first thing in the morning: "You can be more sensitive to triggers first thing, so allow yourself 30 to 60 minutes without looking at your phone. Do something that puts you in a positivemindset – like a workout or making a tasty breakfast – and don’t look to social media to give you that."
There are other tools built into Instagram (and your iPhone) to help you monitor how much time your spending. You can set a daily reminder to give you an alert when you’ve exceeded what you think is a good amount of time to spend on the app.
Think before you post
Dr Hibbard provides a four-point checklist to make sure that you're posting mindfully:
Step back
Pause to look at what you’re about to post. Does it represent you in a real way?
Check yourself
Is this something you’d be prepared to share face-to-face? If not, that’s a warning sign that the disinhibiting effect of social media is pushing you to reveal more than you are actually comfortable with.
Get clear
This one is obvious – but bears repeating. Try not to post under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Be honest
Are you posting to try to change or enhance your mood? Don’t allow your happiness levels to be determined by how well your post lands with others
You can read the full guide here.
