Instagram Adds New Suicide Prevention Tools

Instagram is one of the best places to post your favorite selfies and discover different trends from around the world.

Instagram can also be a place where people cry for help - and now there’s something you can do if you see a friend who posts about suicide or an eating disorder.

Instagram rolled out a new tool this week which will make the social media platform a safer place - and could help save some lives.

If you report a post that worries you, your friend will get a messaging saying, “someone saw one of your posts and think you might be going through a difficult time. If you need support, we’d like to help.” They’ll then get the option to contact a helpline, receive tips or talk to a friend.

Instagram COO Marne Levine told Seventeen “We understand friends and family often want to offer support but don’t know how to reach out. These tools are designed to let you know that you are surrounded by a community that cares about you, at a moment when you might most need that reminder.”

To create the new feature, Instagram collaborated with the National Eating Disorders Association and The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Levine said “We listen to mental health experts when they tell us that outreach from a loved one can make a real difference for this who may be in distress.”

For those who are in crisis or need immediate help, please visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or call 1-800-273-8255.