Instagram is a photo and video sharing network that was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger in October 2010 and was launched exclusively for Apple users.
As impressive as this app sounds, it also has adverse effects on the mental health of people. The number of people on social media is on the rise and the majority of them are teenagers. The teenage years are when psychological stability and characteristics of a person's mind and developed. If they are not happy during this time due to the content that they are exposed to on social media, it will result in permanent flaws in their mindset of a person.
As impressive as this app sounds, it also has adverse effects on the mental health of people. The number of people on social media is on the rise and the majority of them are teenagers. The teenage years are when psychological stability and characteristics of a person's mind and developed. If they are not happy during this time due to the content that they are exposed to on social media, it will result in permanent flaws in their mindset of a person.
The Effects Instagram has on People are:
- Using Instagram on daily basis tunes you into thinking low about yourself as you subconsciously compare yourself to the fitness models and exotic travelers. This affects and damages our self-esteem. Lower self-esteem results in a person losing their confidence and social communication ability.
- Research has proven that usage of social media like Instagram is contributing to growing mental health problems such as body image issues, depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
- Although social media can have positive and negative effects on its users, Instagram proves to have more negative effects. Applicants participating in a survey said that although Instagram gives a sense of connection with the community, it also makes them feel disconnected from the lifestyle of others.
- It is also noticed that a lot of teenagers are using photo editing apps to make them look pretty and in good shape. Teenagers are forcing themselves into fitting the social norms that were laid out by Instagram influencers and models to avoid being left out.
- Often the people on Instagram upload the better part of their life. So when a person is having a bad day and notices on the people around him in the community are having an amazing life because of all their pictures on social media, they start to think that they have a bad life. Comparing their lives to the lives of others around them in the community who show themselves having a better lifestyle leads to them feeling depressed and sad.
- Research states that it was only YouTube that had a positive effect on the lifestyle of people. All the other social media apps were having a negative effect on people's lives.
- The limits to which social media can influence a person's life are being researched but the way it affects the person's mindset is quite well known by now. Users can limit the type of pages to follow and the amount of time they spend on Instagram in order to limit the effects that have on a person's life.
