Instagram’s New Wellbeing Team
Instagram’s new wellbeing team – The new feature that helps users dealing with mental health issues
Last year, a very public survey carried out by Britain’s Royal Society for Public Health ranked Instagram the #1 worst social media platform for mental health and wellbeing which has led to Instagram’s new wellbeing team. The platform was heavily criticised for its association with anxiety, depression, bullying and negative body image. But rather than avoid the problem, Instagram is apparently tackling it head-on.
What will the wellbeing team’s job be?
The entire team will be dedicated to making people feel better while using Instagram. As it’s literally called the “Wellbeing Team”.
According to comments given by Eva Chen at a CornellTech event at Bloomberg last week “The entire focus is focusing on the wellbeing of the community” said Chen. The purpose of this team is for “making the community a safer place, a place where people feel good, is a huge priority for Instagram”. She added “I would say one of the top priorities.”
How will the wellbeing team work?
The new features largely consist of content moderation tools, such as offensive comment filters. This automatically hides inappropriate comments instead of users having to delete them. Users are also given the opportunity to make their own comment filters. Additionally, the site has created teams that examine posts made by individuals who might need access to mental health support. Instagram then puts these individuals in touch with groups that offer aid.
This is not the first time Instagram has tried to battle the negativity surrounding mental health. Instagram does have some mental wellness safeguards in place, like blocking certain self-harm hashtag or providing a warning on others. Plus, the company once launched the #HereForYou campaign to let users know they are not alone if they struggle with mental health issues