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Why Instagram Is Great for Introverts
Recent research explains how it impacts friendships and difficult conversations
When Suzanne Zuppello found out she carried a BRCA1 genetic mutation, one of the first places she turned to for support was Instagram.
BRCA1 is a gene that, when mutated, can increase the likelihood of cancers, particularly breast or ovarian cancer. “When I first found out I had a BRCA mutation, I didn’t know anyone else with one,” Zuppello told me. “I used Instagram to find different people through hashtags, which seemed less scary to me than going to a support group.”
Many of us focus — and I certainly focus — on how social media can be a negative force in the world. From spreading vaccine denialism to immense privacy breaches, platforms like Facebook have brought about a lot of harm. But there are islands of positivity, as Suzanne’s story and a recent study make clear. The study, which appears in the February issue of Computers in Human Behavior, found that Instagram helps students who are introverted or socially anxious make and enrich friendships. It’s the latest in a string of similar studies in the past few years showing how social media benefits users who need to have difficult conversations, whether those conversations are difficult…
