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Although social networks are a reasonably new phenomenon by historical standards, they have already become an influential part of society. The problem of how social networks affect our mental and physical state is also a crucial subject of research for scientists. Perfect staged photos with travel, rest, and just a regular day of bloggers, stars, and models negatively influence the mental health of people, especially adolescents, the main users of the network. They become insecure, feel anxiety, and chase unrealistic standards of appearance and pastime. Instagram, the main content of which is photos, pictures, and videos, is one of the most popular mobile apps worldwide. Society should use social media responsibly and regulate it with specific rules to reduce the negative impact on a persons emotional state and mental abilities, but take advantage of them instead.
The strongest negative impact of Instagram is noticeable on the emotional state of a person. In 2017, the Royal Society for Public Health in Britain surveyed 1,500 young people. Participants had to track their mood using the most famous social networks Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and Twitter ( Social media and young people, 2017). Seven out of ten said Instagram makes them feel worse because of the body cult, and half of the respondents said Instagram and Facebook exacerbate their feelings of anxiety. The report also notes that girls aged about 20 years deteriorate their attitude to their own body due to Instagram, and women over 25 years overestimate expectations about work and lifestyle. It can be traced that people turn off individual consciousness, rational thinking. This is expressed in the fact that, as soon as a person registers on this network, he or she has a desire to follow the mass and its trends photograph much, put life on display.
Another important aspect of the social networks negative impact is the deterioration of mental abilities, which has a destructive effect on a person and society. Social networks are capable of becoming something like a drug for the brain. A person becomes accustomed to constantly receiving any information, and if unexpectedly, this information conveyor stops, he or she begins to experience anxiety, due to a shortage (Siddiqui & Singh, 2016). It becomes difficult for users to relax when the brain receives little information, such as when one gets home from work.
One more negative point is the decrease in attention concentration. It is a side effect of working with one network resource that includes a broad functionality, such as communication, listening to audio recordings, watching videos, discussing, and so on. The user is tempted to do everything at the same time and carry out several processes at once. This negatively affects the possibilities of an individuals thinking (Siddiqui & Singh, 2016). It becomes more difficult to keep attention, for example, reading a long article. Following the habit obtained during a continued presence in the social network, the human mind begins to jump from one object to another. Therefore, there are difficulties with consistent reflection, thinking about one problem.
However, it cannot be said that Instagram and other social media have only a negative influence. A great part of the surveys respondents reported that they received emotional support in social media during difficult times; many said that their accounts provided them with a platform for positive expression ( Social media and young people, 2017). Moreover, according to respondents, they could also get acquainted and maintain relations on the Internet thanks to social networks. Users also note the opportunities that social media, especially YouTube, give for self-education.
To offset the negative impact of this media, developers constantly try to introduce rules of use. For example, users can send complaints about unacceptable content insults, suicide propaganda, and much more. However, additional measures are needed to reduce the impact on the psyche. For example, they can remove effects, which give the impression of the ideal appearance. Since such a measure does not guarantee the use of filters through other applications and then uploading them to Instagram, developers can add notes for those photos that use effects that change the appearance. Reducing the number of filters can negatively affect the popularity of the network. Therefore, to continue to develop and remain an essential element of human leisure, developers need to carry out work to modernize various functions.
The main changes in Instagram in recent years have occurred thanks to the merger with Facebook. The ability to upload photos and videos, ads have been expanded. Over the past few years, Instagram has changed much in terms of use, including age restrictions. Since the end of 2019, users under 13 years old cannot create an account (Hutchinson, 2019). Instagram decided to introduce age restrictions to protect the psyche and personal data of young users. It also introduces age-related restrictions on business accounts established by page owners (Hutchinson, 2019). Both of these measures are fair and change the influence of the network for the better.
Today, Instagram is a social network, the content of which is a reflection of modern social culture and the preferences of society. Over the past five years, the influence of Instagram has increased, both positive and negative. However, developers, through the creation of rules and users through maintaining positive trends, like feminism, body positivism, and others, change the effect on the benefits. Thus, with a responsible approach to the use and development of this network, it can become a source of inspiration, benefit, and pleasant pastime.
References
Hutchinson, A. (2019). Instagram provides new age restriction options for business and creator accounts. Social Media Today. Web.
Siddiqui, S., & Singh, T. (2016). Social media its impact with positive and negative aspects. International Journal of Computer Applications Technology and Research, 5(2), 71-75.
Social media and young peoples mental health and wellbeing. (2017). RSPH. Web.
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