Social media sites change just about as often as you visit them. Instagram has a new feature that’s worth mentioning and it could be a mental health game changer.

  • Feature allows users to flag alarming posts
  • Person who made post will be offered help
  • Instagram worked with other agencies to add feature

Let’s say you notice someone posting some alarming things and you think that person needs help. Now, you can anonymously flag a photo or post.

Then, that person will get this message: “Someone saw one of your posts and thinks you might be going through a difficult time. If you need support, we’d like to help.”

Different options are provided that include “talk to a friend," “contact a helpline," or “get tips and support.”

Instagram worked with the National Eating Disorders Association and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to create this feature.

That’s something Bay News 9’s mental health expert, Dr. Steve O’Brien, applauds.

"I think the fact that they are consulting with mental health organizations and mental health experts, then I think this is good," he said.

"Now, I think there's still a caveat, which is that obviously that's not going to necessarily be sufficient. I mean, obviously, there's no cure-all to accessing mental health. It's still too difficult in this country for many people to access mental health services, but this can make it a little easier," O’Brien said.

If you search for hashtags associated with self-harm, you’ll notice most of them are banned. For those that are still featured, support options will pop up.