We can tell if you’re depressed just by looking at your Instagram

Have you ever thought that your Instagram could show if you are depressed or not? According to the latest news, researchers created a machine that checks your photos and can say if you are struggling with depression. Instagram is one of the most popular social networks in the world, with millions of users every day.

Researchers from the Harvard University and the University of Vermont discovered a connection between what colors a person is using and his/hers mental state. It seems that people who like to post darker images on Instagram are more depressed that those who use happy colors. Of course, there might be people who like better the black color, for example. However, most of the people who use darker colors are more depressed. You should pay more attention  what colors are your friends from Instagram using.

Researchers used a data of 170 people with Instagram accounts. They were asked some questions, which included a standard clinical depression survey. They were also asked to share pictures from their account. Scientists selected 100 photos from every person and rated them. A machine was used to see the correlation between image features, such as colour or filters, and depression.

What did they find out? People who are depressed use other filters than those who are not. It seems that people who are struggling with depression are not using filters and like darker colors. The study proved something that many others could not. Social media can show how good our mental health is and what kind of people we are. There are times where depressed people use Facebook or Instagram as a way of showing they are not doing so good. Of course, there are others who just want to fake they are happy because they do not want other people to know their problems.

Researchers said that this study supported the theory that major changes in our mental health were transmitted in social media use. Moreover, they are able to discover if we are depressed just by looking at our photos.

We are sure that all of you who have an Instagram account are now watching their photos see what colors they used. What do you think? Are the researchers right or some people just like darker colors?

Image source: Pixabay