Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place

Profile photo of Karen Lin, author

Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | May 29, 2024

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You finally put together the courage to direct message your content creator. You want to collaborate and think the arrangement would be mutually beneficial with your small but loyal follower base and her new product. Your sister and mother proofread the message and agreed it is professional and personable. You take a deep breath and hit send. Bam. Then you notice a “Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place” Instagram pop-up message.

Oh, no. What did I do now?” Don’t worry. It’s not you. It’s Instagram. Well, it’s some of your fellow users on Instagram. Let me explain why.

As one of the most widely used social media platforms, Instagram attempts to offer a calm environment for everyone. Its 2010 start had the likely intention of creating a humorous space where everyone could share their lovely images and moments. It was a great place to reconnect with friends from high school or that random college party. Yes, with Instagram, your detective friend could dive deeply into your crush and tell you everything you need to know but his social security number. It was all innocent, of course.

Group of girls on their cell phones.

That simply isn’t the case anymore. Unwittingly, Instagram enabled users to chat and comment, allowing specific individuals to bully even in a virtual environment. Not everyone has the best intentions online anymore. Nefarious characters know that they can significantly damage the mental health and reputation of others. They know they can do this with a quick tap of the thumbs.

Whether or not Instagram foresaw such a scenario, they have proposed a solution. To improve user safety, Instagram warning messages saying “Help keep Instagram a supportive place” have been added. If you’ve seen it, it may just be protocol. You may not have done anything wrong.

“Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place” Meaning

The Keyboard Warrior is as dangerous as they are cowardly. With the coverage of their phone screen, they can say whatever they please without fear of repercussions.

Instagram has appealed to potential bullies in their tracks. They do this by asking them to help keep Instagram a supportive place, meaning that they should aim to avoid potentially offensive language.

This period delays the receiver from receiving the notification of the harmful comment and allows them to think about and delete their statement. Early trials of this function by Instagram revealed that it sometimes prompts users to retract their harsh comments. Instead, they share something more considerate after some thought. Hey, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.

A man in hoodie and glasses is holding a laptop.

Measures Have Been Taken To Curb Cyberbullying
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, explained that finding and removing abuse on Instagram is crucial. He said the social media platform also understands the importance of empowering the community to confront this behavior.

Young individuals in the community have reported to Instagram that they are hesitant to block, unfollow, or report online bullying. This is because doing so could make things worse, especially if this is a person they will see in English class the very next day.

Some of these behaviors make it challenging for a target. To provide users control over their Instagram experience without alerting anyone who might be targeting them, Instagram developed a function. The “Restrict” feature is present. Essentially, the restricted person will have no clue that they (and you) are the only person able to see their comments and messages.

It may seem that “Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place” is wasted on you, a positive content creator. Just remember that it may have prevented you from receiving message requests that could have ruined your day.

How to Contact Instagram for Help When You Face Cyberbullying

You may not be the one who is inflicting verbal harm on others. (We hope you aren’t.) You could be the victim of someone ignoring the “help keep Instagram a supportive place” message. Maybe they don’t care about the harmful comment notification.

Fortunately, you don’t have to take abuse. You can report a message, picture, or video if it is offensive. Instagram is looking out for you, too. Per the Instagram support center, you can take the following actions if someone sends you harsh or nasty content, per the Instagram support center:

  1. Select the DM you want to remove.
  2. Select why you want to report that message by tapping the “Report” button.
  3. Click “Submit Report.”

You already know how to contact Instagram for help. Note that you can also report a communication that contains offensive or violent pictures or videos. Your complaints will be taken into account by Instagram.

You don’t have to wait for Instagram to take action to remove these offensive comments or content from your presence, direct messages, or Instagram feed. If a user repeatedly sends you annoying notifications, you can easily report their account or block them. Don’t put up with toxic behavior in any circumstance.

Instagram even allows you to block all accounts created by that person. Some people have everything in the world and use it to annoy you. You could find it simpler to block evasive abusers. You can block accounts a user owns automatically and can do so when creating new accounts. Your life cannot be made miserable by a harasser who simply switches to another account. You can Message Instagram Support. They are there to help. Then, get back to doing what you love- content creation.

Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place for Young Users

Peer pressure and teen angst in our day were bad enough without the added layer of the big bad internet. The youth is constantly bombarded with curated perfection and falsified photos. Most teens cannot discern when a highlight reel is deceiving them. They take images to heart and are particularly susceptible to predators who do not mean them well.

Girl crying as she is bullied by two boys.

Protecting our most vulnerable is one way to help keep Instagram a supportive place. It’s also in your best interest to do so. Instagram has taken precautions to protect the youngest demographic of users. Check this out:

  • An Age 13 Minimum

Before someone is allowed to create an account on Instagram, they must be at least 13 years old (in some regions, this age requirement may be higher). Accounts representing individuals under 13 must clarify in their bio that a parent or other adult maintains them.

  • Keeping Users Under 16 Safe

When creating an Instagram account, if you are under 16, you can create a public or private account; nevertheless, private will be chosen by default.

  • Protection of Teenagers in General

Instagram also takes precautions to prevent “unwanted contact from adults.” Adults who have displayed “potentially suspicious behavior” will face repercussions from Instagram. Such behavior involves being blocked or being reported by children.

For instance, Instagram won’t show them posts from minors in its Explore and Reels tabs. It also will not recommend that they follow accounts belonging to teenagers. They won’t be able to follow them or comment on kids’ postings if these adults use user names to search for specific teenagers.

White flag with a peace sign being waved.

Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place by Following the Guidelines

Not only can abusive behavior harm other Instagram users, but it can also harm your Instagram page. It would be a shame to work hard following our organic growth tips to increase engagement, only to have your page deleted. Would the hateful comments be worth it?

Instagram’s platform appeals to various groups, but this can only thrive if everyone plays fair. Kindness and respect are encouraged by Instagram’s community guidelines; even these themes can be challenging to enforce.

You may recall signing a “terms of use,” which contain specific rules when creating an Instagram profile. If you don’t recall what it says (if you even read it), we aren’t judging. If you break these rules, Instagram retains the right to modify or delete your profile.

Instagram has strayed from its original focus on visual arts and photography. It is now a marketplace for all types of content.

Keep up-to-date with the Instagram Community Guidelines, so you do not unintentionally transgress them.

Don’t disregard the Instagram community guidelines. If you want to help keep Instagram a Supportive place and don’t want your account to be deleted by Instagram, avoid the following actions:

  • Avoid using prohibited hashtags: Certain hashtags are restricted on Instagram; using them will violate community standards and could result in account cancellation. Be careful with those hashtags! Make sure you don’t accidentally type the wrong one.
  • Posting illegal material is prohibited: Always strive to post original posts or try to notify the author if you are posting someone else’s work.
  • Avoid exceeding the limits: If you’re utilizing Instagram bots to raise your likes and followers, be aware of the platform’s limitations. The social media experts at Path Social can help you buy Instagram followers safely.

All the best!

Woman with a purple flag with the word "Kindness"

Let’s Touch On Instagram Privacy and Support Center

You should familiarize yourself with the Instagram privacy and support center. You may mitigate harassment and cyberbullying by controlling who can access your page.

Let’s talk about Instagram Privacy. Your Instagram profile’s default setting is public, meaning anyone can view the images there. When someone searches for a particular hashtag or place you used, public posts may come up. The ‘Explore’ tab may potentially contain public posts. This exposes your page and invites comments from friends, family, and strangers. There will still be some mean-spirited DMs, even after the “Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place” they receive.

Making your account private will alter these settings so that only the followers you allow can view your profile and posts. Additionally, your posts won’t appear on a hashtag or location page, the Photos tab of Search and Explore, or any other page.

This sounds like an excellent solution for your private Instagram page, and you should protect yourself if necessary. But what about the Instagram page you want to increase followers and engagement? If you’re an influencer, this could be a goal of yours. Vitriolic comments and shares just to jeer still count as engagement. I know- it sounds toxic. But bad press is still press on Instagram. You will have to decide if staying public is worth it.

Here’s some advice from The Instagram Support Center regarding Account Blocking. When you block someone, you may choose whether to do so just for their account, or any further accounts they may have created.

You must block each account individually if you follow many ones owned by the same person. When you block someone, no one is informed. They may notice they are no longer seeing your content, though.

Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place: Help Instagram Help You

It would be a grave understatement to say that cyberbullying has become a problem on social media. For years, hate speech has been a problem on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. People have left these platforms in search of less vitriol-filled experiences. The debate of free speech vs. hate speech hasn’t yielded anything of value.

By introducing a modest feature scientifically shown to reduce cyberbullying, Meta attempts to curtail some of this behavior.

On Instagram, hurtful comments are common and straightforward to post without thinking. Before posting a remark, users are informed through the “Comment Warning” function before posting a remark when it might be deemed distasteful.

This may seem like the social media equivalent of saying, “Swiper no swiping,” and expecting nefarious people to grow conscious in a split second. Does it work? It seems like it wouldn’t. Why would they listen?

The social media platform Instagram states, “Tests show that this encourages some people to undo their comment and share something less hurtful instead.” So, when you see the “Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place,” remember that it serves its purpose. Maybe it’s a burst of fear as people take it as a threat, but people take it seriously.

If you spread positivity and uplift users in their comment sections and DM’s, keep it up. Instagram is a much better place with positive content creators like yourself. Commenting on posts is a way to grow your following and engagement at the same time organically!

Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place by Following Path Social

The safest thing to do for your account is to stay on Instagram’s good side. You can help keep Instagram a Supportive place and maintain an account with healthy growth simultaneously. You don’t need to be provocative or offensive to generate a viral moment. It could cost you. Sure, that seems tempting, but with Instagram constantly making changes to protect its users, you may lose followers unnecessarily.

As for you and your mental health, the team at Path Social wants the best for you. As a positive content producer, you might think the message “Help Keep Instagram a Supportive Place” is pointless. Just remember that it might have saved you from getting message requests that would have made your day miserable. Remember to take a break from social media if it becomes too much. We are a supportive place for you as well! Never forget that!

Over the past decade, our team here at Path Social has developed a proprietary AI targeting algorithm and our internal platform of Instagram influencers. Our client reviews speak for themselves.

We can attract focused, enthusiastic, and engaged organic users in this way. Because we have yet to duplicate our findings, you can create a thriving Instagram community. Begin increasing your Instagram following right away. Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today!