I’m Here for Instagram’s #HereForYou Campaign

Instagram recently launched its #HereForYou campaign, which sheds light on the issue of mental health and highlights positive communities of support that have formed through Instagram

These days, social media is ubiquitous. With over 2.3 billion active social media users worldwide, social media is making the world more connected than ever before, while also providing people with a form of escape, a place to be anonymous, a place to express thoughts freely.

Recently, there have been some conversations surrounding the social responsibility of social media platforms when it comes to a variety of issues. For example, is Facebook responsible for monitoring the reliability and accuracy of news that is shared on the platform? With the rise of hysteria surrounding “fake news”, people had various opinions on what role Facebook played, given that much of the news was being shared and spread and viralized on the site. In April, Facebook finally took a stance on the issue, pinning a box to the top of users’ News Feeds, which led them to a post with tips for spotting fake news.

There are many different conversations that could be had about the role and responsibility of social media platforms when it comes to certain issues, but I want to focus on a specific platform and a specific issue: Instagram and mental health.

Speaking simply of Instagram as a platform, it is hard to say whether or not it has a positive or negative impact on the mental health of its users. What really matters is the content, and because every user on Instagram follows and engages with different accounts, every scenario is unique. Still, there are definitely areas and instances where the use of Instagram can be detrimental to mental health, and there is no shortage of articles and opinions on that subject. Some argue that Instagram is very superficial, and makes people feel bad about themselves while they look at the most perfectly packaged versions that other people present of themselves in their pictures.

Instagram has even become a place where people talk about their struggles with mental health. Perhaps aided by the ability to maintain a degree of anonymity, some people turn to the platform to share their experiences and feelings. A recent study examined the use of the hashtag #depression on the platform. It found many posts, most referencing self-harm, eating disorders, or anxiety or other mental health disorders. There was a variety of photo types, including selfies, self-harmed bodies, and even suicide threats.

But, as Allee Manning said in an article that mentioned the study, “Contrary to the pervasive rhetoric surrounding largely anonymous online communities built around mental illness and the often-harmful practices symptomatic of them, the researchers actually found that the majority of the responses were positive and supportive.”

The reality is that yes, Instagram can be a place where mental health issues can become exacerbated, a place where negative thoughts and habits are reinforced, a place that is unhealthy for people struggling with mental illness (whether they know it or not), to frequent. But all that being said, it can also be a place where people can come together and form supportive communities that are open, loving, and healing for the people involved.

So where does Instagram, as a company, stand in all of this? With billions of people using the platform, and an estimated 350 million people suffering from depression, it is certainly in Instagram’s interest to be cognizant of how mental illness and the use of Instagram might interact for people. Fortunately, Instagram has already taken steps to show that it takes the issue of mental health seriously. In 2016, it introduced a new feature that allows users to anonymously flag a photo if they believe that the person who posted it needs help. If a photo is flagged, the poster receives a message saying “Someone saw one of your posts and thinks you might be going through a difficult time. If you need support, we’d like to help,” followed by a list of resources.

Most recently, Instagram took it a step further, launching its #HereForYou campaign. The initiative aims to highlight the positive and supportive communities that have been born through Instagram, raise awareness about mental health issues, and provide support to the broad community in seeking help. Instagram launched the campaign through a video that appeared as a promoted post in users’ newsfeeds, which highlighted three users experiences of finding support through Instagram, and a blog post by founder & CEO, Kevin Systrom. The video also prompts users to a website, which contains more information about the campaign and provides resources for users that are struggling.

As with everything, there has been a degree of backlash towards this campaign. Some criticize it, saying that Instagram has actually contributed to the rise of mental illness in young people, referencing the growing body of research that suggests that social media as a whole is linked to higher rates of depression. These critics feel that Instagram is still complicit in the rise of mental illness, and that a hashtag campaign is not nearly enough to address the problem.

I totally understand the opinions of these naysayers, and agree wholeheartedly that mental health is a huge topic of concern that is not being addressed adequately. That being said, I do think that Instagram’s choice to launch this campaign, among other choices and actions it has taken to provide support to those struggling with mental illness, is a great step in the right direction. Instagram has huge power to have an influence, and to get topics into the realm of public discussion, and by launching this campaign, they have brought mental health into the newsfeeds of billions of people- people that may be struggling themselves, people who may have loved ones that are struggling, people who may simply not know much about mental health and mental illness at all, or people who actually have attached negative stigmas to mental illness.

It is important not to look at public awareness campaigns, like this #HereForYou campaign, as something that believes itself to be the be-all and end-all solution for the issue it seeks to raise awareness about. Of course there is more that can be done- there will ALWAYS be more that can be done. It would have been easy for Instagram to write this issue off, and say that they have no control over what people post, and are simply a platform. But by choosing to make this issue, that so many users of the platform are struggling with, their issue, they are setting an example for other companies to step up to the plate and put in an effort to have a positive social impact where possible.

In conclusion, the #HereForYou campaign launched by Instagram reminds us, or sheds light on, the reality that many people are struggling with mental illness, and for many people, social media may be the only place they feel safe turning to for help. Recognizing that reality, and choosing to be more proactive in supporting users that are struggling, was a commendable step for Instagram to take. Hopefully, the work will not stop here. Hopefully, Instagram, and other companies, and communities, and people, will see the power in using the influence that they have to make a positive social impact on the lives of others.