Instagram 's new search feature offers resources to users who might need help.
Angela Lang / Facebook adds new resources to Instagram on Monday to provide support for suffering users from negative body image or eating disorders . The social networking site, which owns Instagram , also said it is expanding its work with experts to better inform policies for more positive content.
In the Instagram app, if you search for a particular word or phrase associated with negative body image or eating disorders , at Instead of presenting the search results, a message appears asking if Instagram can be of any help.
Cross the chatter
Subscribe to the Mobile 's newsletter for the latest phone news and reviews. "Posts containing words you search often encourage behaviors that can cause harm and even lead to death," Facebook said in one blog post. "If you are going through something difficult, we would love to help you.
Users can tap a blue button labeled Get Support or tap Viewthe results to continue their research. The pop-up message could give users a moment to pause to ask for help, or rephrase a search so they don't see potentially triggering content if they're recovering from an eating disorder.
If you choose the Get Support option, Instagram will give you a few options like contacting a friend. You can also choose to ta lk with a helpline volunteer. Instagram links to over a dozen hotlines for resources such as National Association of Eating Disorders , Project Trevor and the Pinterest has a similar backup function. When users search for certain phrases or words, the app provides a link to the NEDA website for additional resources. Tumblr also has a pop-up message to trigger potentially dangerous searches.
When searching for similar terms on the Facebook app, however, there did not appear to be any resources generated just by searching for a given word.
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The information in this article is for educational and professional purposes only and does not constitute medical or health advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care professional with any questions you may have about a health concern or health goals.
