Lights, camera, Insta!

From teenagers looking to become the new overnight sensation to everyone else looking to add a touch of glam in their otherwise boring lives, Instagram is the answer.

It’s the holy grail of all the apps for the hip generation as Facebook lags behind Instagram in attracting the young audience worldwide.

There’s no life without Instagram for travel buffs, movie fans and especially teenagers and young adults looking for the next teaser of the song from Taylor Swift. Or a picture of Selena Gomez from her holidays. From pictures of the remotest island in the world to the latest goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, Instagram offers everything for the fans right in the palm of their hands. Over a billion monthly active users now use it to amp up the style factor in their pictures and steal the spotlight.

Related Read: 4 Instagram Marketing Secrets Brands Should Learn from Generation Z

It’s Just another App, innit?

An app, yes, but it has become a cultural phenomenon and for millennials, it is the oxygen they breathe, to continue to live in a sane state. You may call it a time-sucking app, but the reality is, it has a huge following and life seems so glamorous on Insta. People looking towards the unknown from infinity pools and jaw-dropping heights of the Himalayas’ highest peaks, we all put every second of our lives online.

But amid all the razzmatazz, there’s a dark side of Instagram that we all tend to ignore but face, nonetheless. Along with all the praise, celebrities and everyone else, especially teenagers, face bullying, hatred and trolling for most of their pictures. Bullying and privacy issues are rampant on Instagram with users facing lots of issues and think of ways on how to cope up with them.

Finally, there are some anti-bullying measures from Instagram to make things easier for users to handle. One is for user’s comments and second is the restriction mode.

Warning for Users Commenting on

Instagram has added a new warning which will prompt users when they post a comment. The warning offers users a chance to change their comment as it may be considered offensive by the person it is intended for.

The example mentioned above offer a simple example. The new tool will be in action as soon as certain words are detected by it in the comments. An alert will be given to the users asking them to change if they want to, the comment.

Restriction Mode

Instagram is also testing a “Restricted” mode. This new mode hasn’t been launched yet and is still under consideration, but the official announcement about this has been made by Instagram.

The above three screenshots have shown how restriction mode will work. It is all about how to lessen the impact of certain users without alerting them. Instagram has also explained this in their official press release, as it will help users in limiting cyberbullies without creating a scene. The basic premise here is all about limiting the exposure of such hateful or nasty comments.

See the last frame of the example above. With Restriction mode on, only you and the person you have restricted can see their comments. So, this effectively means that you will significantly reduce their reach. In the case of a celebrity or a public figure, the person’s reach will be restricted to a single person from potentially millions. But this Restriction mode may backfire in some cases.

First of all, some users will be hesitant to block or unfollow someone who they know in real life too. Restricted user may also find this very unpleasant as he would like to interact with other users as well. When a user’s comment does not show up in the same social group, they will work out they have been restricted. While it is good for Instagram to follow new things, such restrictions won’t be good for the future of the app itself.

Related Read: Double Your Instagram Engagement with These Useful Hacks

Features like Restriction May Lead to Suicide and Other Mental Health Issues

According to a survey conducted in 2017, Instagram is one of the leading social media networks for seriously compromising the mental health of people using it and their well-being. And the restriction feature will make the lives of people using it more troublesome. The same survey labeled Instagram as the worst social media network with the platform having the capability of producing a high level of anxiety and depression too.

Final Word

In my opinion, no social media app or platform would like to make things difficult for itself so that there could be a warning for using it. While I am sure that Instagram would like to make things easier for its users, don’t expect a miracle here in the next few weeks as things take time in this concern.

If you want to know further about any aspect mentioned in this blog or offer your valuable feedback, please use the comments section below.