Every good thing has a bad side and the internet is no exception. Cyberbullying has been an issue for a while but Instagram is hoping to make some changes that will make it harder to post bullying comments on the platform. There’s definitely no shortage of trolls that exist on the world wide web and Insta's CEO, Kevin Synstrom, is hoping to filter out the comments that are intended to harass or upset people using the Instagram community. 

Instagram's official account posted a photo on Monday of purple, pink and yellow felt letters scrambled with an empty space heart in the middle with a caption that read:
"From our CEO @kevin: 'Starting today, Instagram will filter bullying comments intended to harass or upset people in our community. To be clear: we don't tolerate bullying on Instagram. Our Community Guidelines have always prohibited bullying on our platform, and I'm proud to announce this next step in our ongoing commitment to keeping Instagram an inclusive, supportive place for all voices.'"

The update will filter comments automatically, ensuring that users never see any of the toxic and bullying comments at all. The comments that will be hidden might include those that are made about someone’s appearance, character or well-being. For those who are repeat offenders, Instagram will be notified and plans to remove the trolls from the platform. 

"We also believe in promoting kindness — encouraging our community to support one another both on and off Instagram" Synstrom said in the post. "On Saturday we will host a Kindness Prom to celebrate people on our platform who are spreading positivity. These young leaders are inspiring their peers by helping kindness, acceptance and support grow on Instagram and in the world. Since Mike and I founded Instagram, it's been our goal to make it a safe place for self-expression and to foster kindness within the community. This update is just the next step in our mission to deliver on that promise."

Instagram is the first social media outlet to take such a massive step in bettering the social media world with their new bullying filter. In the past, they have made a conscious effort to ensure that users who need mental health support get information and access to it. If users are having a tough time with trolls during a live broadcast, reporting it to Instagram will give the users a notification with helpline and support information. 

This new filter goes a step further and could make for a safer social media environment. We can only hope that other social media platforms follow Instagram’s lead. 

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bullying , cyberbullying , health , instagram , instagram filters , mental health , mental health awareness , mental health awareness advocate , mental health awareness month , news , trolls