A new Instagram feature allows users to anonymously flag a photo if they think the person who posted it needs help.
Working with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the National Eating Disorders Association, Instagram will send the user whose photo was flagged a message that says, “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.” The app will provide users with options of available help in their area.
In addition to the flagging, users can also be directed to this page if the user searches a hashtag associated with self-harm.
350 million people suffer from depression, according to the World Health Organization.
"We listen to mental health experts when they tell us that outreach from a loved one can make a real difference for those who may be in distress. At the same time, we understand friends and family often want to offer support but don't know how to best reach out," Instagram's chief operating officer Marne Levine told Seventeen. "These tools are designed to let you know that you are surrounded by a community that cares about you, at a moment when you might most need that reminder."
Ellen Lucas, associate director for Ball State’s Counseling Center, said people who are depressed sometimes find it difficult to ask for help, so Instagram’s feature is a positive step toward encouraging people to seek services.
“I think this is a helpful tool and a way for people to reach out to others in a way that maybe easier for people to receive … It is also a way to communicate to people who are struggling that they matter, they are important and other people care about them,” Lucas said. “Having resources readily available can provide assistance more rapidly and hopefully help people get the treatment and services they need … social media is a way to reach many people very quickly and this can hopefully get help to people more quickly."
Lucas thinks people, especially millennials, use social media to communicate their emotions and emotional states.
Natalie Miller, a freshman biochemistry major, has seen posts about mental health before and thinks the feature is a good idea and also sees a need for it on Snapchat and Twitter.
“It mostly comes from just one person, but just one person is enough to be worried about,” Miller said. “I have a few friends with depression that have social media and I think, for some, it'll be good for them to have 'proof' that someone cares about them. Because even though I and many if my friends have said so many times, sometimes they don't believe that we are worried.”
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