Instagram is a massive part of modern life. But, there’s a high chance this isn’t good for our psyches. Young adults who use Instagram more likely to be depressed, according to a 2016 study from the University of Pittsburgh. A survey of 1,500 young people in the U.K. ranked Instagram as the worst social media platform for mental health.
Most of whom agreed that avoiding Instagram entirely is unrealistic in our hyperconnected society. Instead, there are tips for using Instagram in a way that leaves us healthier instead of harmed.
1. Ask Yourself Why Using Instagram
Ask yourself why you are using Instagram. It’s helpful to analyze precisely why you look at Instagram, according to a psychology professor at the University of Michigan.
2. Post, Like, Comment, and Message More Often
Many Instagram user spend more time looking at social media than responding to posts or creating their own. Commenting on and posting Instagram photos is preferable to mindless scrolling, said an assistant psychology professor at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
3. Bulk Up the Positive Content
You may want to follow more accounts similar to the ones that make you feel good. For many people, ones that deal with specific hobbies like traveling or culinary.
4. Unfollow Accounts that Don’t Bring You Joy
Next time you open Instagram to a particular photo, ask how the image makes you feel. For some people, following that home design account is very calming, but for others, the photos make them envious, because their homes don’t look like that.
5. Remind Yourself that People aren’t Posting Their Real Lives
Sure, we all know that Instagram presents a filtered version of reality. When you see a model, you know that they’ve been edited. But when you see your friends having this wonderful life, you know them well in real life, so you don’t think of the fact that they’re carefully curating what they put on Instagram.