Instagram has, over the past year, become a confusing mess of photos that are out of order and ads that mess up your carefully-curated feed. (Also, a Snapchat clone that is killing Snapchat.) But there are some good things to be had—there are still great photos and videos and stories to be seen. Now it also has something better: the app will now try to help you if you’re about to do something you might regret.
Instagram now has a feature that comes in in case of mental health emergencies. You can report that a friend who’s thinking dark thoughts (so that you don’t have to be imposing about it), and Instagram will swoop in and send them a list of places and groups, or even friends, that you can turn to. It’ll also do the same if you happen to try and search a tag that’s connected to self-harm or mental illness, which the app has also banned.
“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,” said Instagram COO Marne Levine in a statement to Seventeen.
This is especially important here, where it seems like mental health issues are growing among millennials—one of Instagram’s biggest markets—for one reason or another, prompting the need for a legit mental health law. It still remains to be seen whether Instagram doing the warning and the helping will be good enough to help, but every little bit counts, and it’s wonderful for a popular app like this to take initiative for an important advocacy.
Meanwhile, if you’re feeling stuck in a hole, check out our quick list of local mental health resources.
Photo from Instagram
