Finding Aid Through Instagram. More and more people are using social networking to communicate with each other. Instagram is no exception to this rule, and people forge friendships, communities and even deeper relationships, all of that without anything but a laptop or a cell phone and an Instagram account. Sometimes they share passions, hobbies, their favorite brand or artist or actor – and sometimes they can create a good climate to help each other with specific problems.
One of the meals prepared by Hayley shown on Instagram
Hayley Kremer is a 20-year-old student from Colorado which has been using Instagram as a way to overcome an issue with which many people are struggling today. Hayley hasn’t been happy with her body image for a very long time. She’s been in recovery for some years. However, she has been using Instagram to document her recovery. She posts colorful pictures of the dishes she prepares, pictures that show her progress and her accomplishments.
Thinspiration
Thanks to her appealing photos – very different from those from girls who deal with anorexia and so-called “thinspiration” – she has now 18 thousand people following her. Hers is an anonymous account, however. Few people dare to create a recovery account using their real names, fearing that their friends, family or co-workers may find them. Anonymous or not, they soon have created a supportive digital community. They share their accomplishments, their fears, the stories of their struggle. It is easier, too, because it is not as if you were to see the people with whom you share those experiences in your everyday life.
Their methods are different too. Some include every meal and snack they have. Or the total calories they have consumed or the days they have abstained from eating. However, they are all supportive on each other. And, in cases like these, a helping hand, even if it is an online hand, can do a lot.