Published on
Updated
Reading 1 min.
Against all odds, a new study indicates that using Instagram may benefit women with anxiety and eating disorders.
Social networks often get bad press. Accused of causing sleep disorders, loss of self-esteem, eye fatigue or even suicidal thoughts, they accumulate defects. At least, in appearance. A new study indeed shows that they have not got it all wrong: the regular use of Instagram seems to be beneficial in women suffering from mental problems, in particular anxiety and eating disorders.
Instagram could have a ‘calming’ effect
To verify this theory, Concordia doctoral candidate Fanny Gravel-Patry tracked the Instagram habits of three Quebec women suffering from mental illness. One has an eating disorder, another has generalized anxiety and an eating disorder, and the third has anxiety, body image issues and childhood trauma.
Fanny Gravel-Patry’s goal? Understand how and why candidates turn to the platform, what types of content they consume, and what they find there.
Result: if the candidates present a different use of the application (sharing the healing journey, finding soothing solutions, capturing positive and inspiring messages, etc.), Instagram seems to have a “calming effect” on these women, notes the researcher.
Nevertheless, she considers Instagram not “intrinsically beneficial”. It is the lack of concrete solutions that push patients to seek “self-care” on their own, especially on digital platforms.
“Pecause resources are limited, people have no choice but to take care of their own mental health and go to apps like Instagram. But these are applications that ultimately encourage the structure of individualized commodification.”