Instagram is a social media platform that many are familiar with and have accounts to where you can post pictures for your followers to see.  As light-hearted as this sounds, Instagram has become a toxic place for Teenagers in many ways.  According to TIME.com, “Instagram is the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing, according to a recent survey of almost 1,500 teens and young adults. While the photo-based platform got points for self-expression and self-identity, it was also associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying, and FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.”  Instead of this being a fun platform to connect with friends, this has destroyed the confidence that many teenagers have.

Many teenagers find themselves creating an unhealthy obsession of constantly comparing themselves to others due to the culture Instagram has created.  For example, when someone may post something on Instagram, he or she may refresh their feed every minute just to see how many likes and comments they get to see if they are getting the same amount of likes as their friends or other people they may know.  Also, Instagram glamourizes our day-to-day life by having the platform that overall is not casual and is where you will post your “highlight reel” that many get confused with being reality, which therefore destroys one’s self-confidence.

One way that we can still stay connected with our favorite celebrities, friends, and families is by reducing the amount of time we spend on Instagram plus other social media platforms.  According to kykernel.com, “experts have recommended 30 minutes or less per day as the maximum time you should spend on social media.”  By reducing the amount of time we spend on social media, we will all improve our general health, mentally and physically, in order to create a better version of ourselves.