GRIN AND
SHARE IT
THE SOAPBOX
Instagram:
is it bad for
our mental
health?
YES, ACCORDING TO THE ROYAL SOCIETY
FOR PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE UK, WHICH
FOUND THE PHOTO-BASED PLATFORM
IS LINKED WITH ANXIETY, DEPRESSION
AND BULLYING. BUT DOES IT DEPEND ON
USAGE AND STATE OF MIND? WE ASK WH
EMOTIONS EXPERT DR ALICE BOYES.
It’s no shock we’re drawn to Instagram,
since around 30-50 per cent of the brain is
devoted to processing visual stimuli. Plus,
whenever we get photo ‘likes’, the effect
is the same as a slot machine – you keep
checking in search of your next buzz. In fact,
a 2016 brain imaging study done at UCLA
showed that teens experienced a dopamine
jolt when they viewed their Instagram ‘likes’.
Research suggests that knowing something
is ‘fake’ or biased (ie, trying to create a
particular impression) doesn’t necessarily
lessen the psychological impact. You may
know that many candid, relaxed Instagram
images are actually highly staged productions,
but that won’t necessarily stop you engaging
in negative social comparison and feeling
depressed or anxious afterwards. Not ideal.
Sure, Instagram can be a positive tool
for expressing your creativity, and pretty
pictures can also provide style or health
inspiration. Seeing Bey’s baby pics are fun,
too. However, Instagram (and Snapchat,
which was also tapped in the study as being
detrimental to our mental health) has clear
downsides. Here are some solutions.2
Follow accounts
that post diverse
body images.
A few of our faves:
@girlgazeproject
@thenakediaries
@mynameisjessamyn
and @70sbabes.1
Reduce
compulsive
use by turning
off all
notifications
and taking
Instagram (and
other social
networking
apps) off the
home screen of
your phone.3
Consider
YouTube as
an alternative.
The UK study
indicates that,
of all social
platforms,
YouTube is the
mostly likely to
have a positive
impact on
mental health.SEPTEMBER 2017 womenshealth.com.au 13