The Psychology of Instagram

Over a billion people are active on Instagram, with the average user spending roughly 30 minutes a day on the image-centric platform. Instagram is one of the fastest growing SES (social network sites) owned by Meta platforms launched in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger providing opportunities for enhancing one’s social quotient. Instagram impacts our mental health quite significantly, particularly among teenagers, who are its most frequent users. Social media strongly attracts adolescents and influences them significantly. Thus, it is crucial to acknowledge that caution might be necessary when interacting with the platform. 

Why do people use Instagram?

According to a study (Mondry, 2008), new media refers to internet-based, technology-driven online platforms that are interactive, flexible, and accessible for both public and private use and Instagram is one of them. It is a widely popular social media app globally because it enables users to present themselves through a carefully curated combination of captions and images.

This enables individuals to craft and present the identity they want to showcase to the world. As a result, users reinforce their motivation to use Instagram by striving to post content that aligns with their aspirations and reflects their life goals. Furthermore, users engage in self-expression on it, allowing them to feel that their identity is more accurately reflected on their profiles, rather than using it to impress others.

Instagram as a tool for Community Engagement

It plays an important role in promoting community engagement by enabling users to connect, exchange ideas, and offer support through features like posts, stories, comments, and direct messaging. The platform facilitates the formation of online communities centred around shared interests, values, or causes, making it easier for people to join discussions, participate in social movements, and collaborate on creative projects. Hashtags, live interactions, and group chats further strengthen this sense of community, offering a space for both personal connections and wider collective engagement.

The body positivity movement serves as an excellent example of a user-driven initiative that utilizes social media to promote diversity and drive positive change. Moreover, Transgender and gender-diverse adolescents often turn to Instagram to learn about sexual health and identity while connecting with other LGBTQIA+ teens to foster a sense of community, especially in the dearth of role models from the LGBTQIA+ community.

Social Comparison and Validation on Instagram

The number of likes on Instagram posts often dictates a person’s perceived popularity and fame, with higher likes leading to increased recognition. Conversely, a lower number of likes can trigger negative emotions, particularly for those who have been victimized or bullied by their peers (Lee, 2020). Social comparison is a cognitive process where individuals evaluate themselves by comparing their own attributes to the information presented by others (Festinger, 1954).

Instagram often showcases an exciting and thrilling lifestyle, and viewing such posts can lead to feelings of inferiority. This, in turn, can negatively impact self-esteem and may trigger symptoms of anxiety or depression or hinder life satisfaction among Instagram users. Instagram usage is a subjective experience, with individuals often feeling inspired by lifestyle posts, spirituality, or personal values, motivating them to pursue similar goals in an effort to enhance their own lives. People enhance their psychological well-being by engaging in activities they feel inspired to pursue after viewing content from other creators.

This can lead someone to discover valuable information and knowledge that is beneficial for their life. Such information might include scientific knowledge, academic resources, training opportunities, and global insights. The connection between Instagram usage and an individual’s psychological well-being highlights the themes related to the challenges and opportunities for mental health in the digital age.

Instagram and Mental Health Issues

Research studies link Instagram usage to a disrupted sleep cycle, which leads to depression, cognitive impairment, and a decline in academic performance. Women who ceased Instagram use for seven days reported greater life satisfaction and higher positive affect in the post-test compared to those who continued their usual Instagram habits (Fioravanti et al; 2020).

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) can trigger anxiety and depression. When individuals notice their exclusion from an online activity or experience, it can affect their thoughts and emotions, potentially leading to harmful physiological and psychological consequences. Moreover, it usage positively correlates with depressive symptoms in individuals.

Furthermore, the amount of time spent on Instagram positively correlates with increased levels of anxiety about physical appearance, social anxiety, and heightened insecurity. Individuals who use Instagram more frequently report higher levels of Instagram-induced stress compared to non-users (Sanz-Blas et al; 2019).

A cross-sectional study (Ceballos et al; 2018) demonstrated a slight positive correlation between Instagram usage intensity and the frequency of alcohol consumption, with binge drinkers reporting higher levels of Instagram use compared to non-binge drinkers. Additionally, social comparison, frequently observed on Instagram, can influence self-evaluation and self-esteem.

Including self-esteem as a mediator between Instagram use and well-being is crucial, as low self-esteem heightens the risk of psychopathology, while high self-esteem enhances life satisfaction. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community often face bullying and are trolled on Instagram for their sexual orientation leading to elevated levels of depression and suicidal ideation (Hamm et al; 2015).

Body Image Issues and Eating Disorders

In line with sociocultural theory, research on body image disturbance has consistently shown that exposure to media portrayals of the thin ideal images promotes internalization of the same and appearance-based comparisons, leading to a preoccupation with body image and eating disorders especially in women (Grabe et al; 2008). The persistent display of beauty standards on Instagram leads individuals to become fixated on their appearance. Many strive to attain the perceived ideal body shape, which can contribute to body image issues and eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. 

Similarly, objectification theory (Fredrickson et al; 1997) proposes that the media’s sexual objectification of women encourages women to internalize this perspective, leading them to self-objectify which further predisposes them to contract eating disorders. Previous research has shown that exposure to appearance-focused traditional media, rather than general media consumption, is a stronger predictor of body dissatisfaction (Levine et al; 2009). This, in turn, results in behaviours such as skipping meals, purging, detoxing, intermittent fasting, and an obsession with body weight and appearance, which can increase the risk of developing eating disorders.

Dopamine and Instagram Addiction

Dopamine is a neurochemical that transmits signals within our neural circuits and plays a key role in motivation and mood enhancement. The ventral tegmentum, located in our cognitive structures, serves as the primary pleasure centre and is crucial for seeking pleasure within the meso-cortico-limbic-dopamine pathway. When using Instagram, this pathway is activated, and the response pattern is reinforced if it continues. As a result, individuals can become addicted to Instagram as they seek pleasure through its use.

Instagram usage is widespread among emerging adults and adolescents compared to older generations and is more prevalent among women than men (Saiphoo et al., 2019). Young adults use Instagram and are particularly sensitive to the impact of likes, which taps into their biological drive for popularity and belonging. Additionally, brain regions that release oxytocin and dopamine are involved in social rewards such as validation and approval, activated during Instagram use. Furthermore, fMRI results have shown that brain areas associated with social reward pathways are activated in young adults when they receive more likes on their posts.

How to regulate one’s Instagram Usage

• Awareness: It’s important to be mindful of the time spent on Instagram, avoid mindless scrolling, and set limits on usage.
• Detox: Deactivating Instagram or deleting one’s account is essential for maintaining positive well-being when its use becomes problematic, interfering with interpersonal relationships and occupation.
• Alternate options: Engaging in various hobbies, participating in productive activities, and spending quality time with family can help shift attention away from Instagram and encourage more fulfilling alternatives. These practices promote healthier use of time and reduce reliance on the platform.

It can be concluded that Instagram usage can impact an individual’s psychological well-being in both positive and negative ways. On the positive side, Instagram can enhance psychological well-being by providing valuable information, acting as a source of knowledge, inspiring healthy lifestyles, fostering a sense of connection, and supporting feelings of spirituality. On the negative side, it can adversely affect mental health by causing stress and anxiety when social validation is lacking, leading to depression due to social insecurity or body image issues, contributing to eating disorders, and exacerbating bullying and trolling, which may result in suicidal thoughts.