Social networks are a vehicle of expression, a way of being in contact with other like-minded people and a means of escape. However, they can also be a focus to encourage negative aspects such as comparisons, banality or narcissism.
A study called #StatusofMind, carried out by the Royal Society for Public Health in the United Kingdom (The Royal Society for Public Health) and published in 2017, identified Instagram, first, and Snapchat , second, as the social networks that they had a more negative impact on mental health and well-being.
Those responsible for the work explained that both platforms were very focused on image and appearances and could lead young people to feelings of anxiety and inadequacy. In addition, they invited these applications to identify those people with a mental health problem and indicate in a “discreet” way where they could get help.
Three years after the publication of this study, Snapchat seems to have realized that it needs such a tool for its users. So, you just launched a feature called Here For You.
This is how the mental health tool that Snapchat has launched works
“Privacy, security and ensuring the well-being of our community are deeply rooted in our values and product philosophy,” the company underlines in a post in its news and updates section. “ Here For you will provide proactive in-app support for Snapchatters (people who use the Snapchat app) who may be experiencing a mental or emotional health crisis, or are curious to find out more about these issues and how they can help friends. to deal with them ”,
From Snapchat they clarify that Here For You will show security resources from local experts when users of the social network search for certain topics , including those related to anxiety, depression, stress, pain, suicidal thoughts and bullying . Thus, when they type words related to mental health, they will receive results that will contain advice or videos from organizations or institutions. There are stories with recommendations, short clips and links that lead to web pages of this type of service. Some phone lines are even offered for users in the US and UK.
At the moment Here For You only works when inquiries are made in English . When testing with searches in Spanish, the tool does not activate or offer results. To receive more content of this type, Snapchat offers the option to subscribe. We hope that the ghost company will expand its support to other languages soon.
Actually, this functionality was announced in early February. Although the app had planned to release its tool in the coming months, the coronavirus crisis has caused its launch to be advanced and made available to its entire community. Snapchat is aware that the quarantine and confinement situations that are already being experienced and will be experienced in the coming weeks may lead to more problems of this type and wants to offer support.
