Instagram users analysed by algorithm for signs of depression

An algorithm has been developed by researchers to help diagnose depression and other mental illnesses in users of Instagram. The online photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service has been utilised in a study by Andrew Reece of Harvard University and Chris Danforth of the University of Vermont to diagnose mental illness according to the colours a person uses in their photos. Instagram has approximately 500 million users as of June 2016 and according to the study people who post darker coloured or greyer images on the site are more likely to suffer from depression, compared to those who have vibrant-coloured pictures. Additionally, Reece and Danforth created a machine-learning algorithm that finds links between image properties and depression. An image on Instagram that has vibrant colours can be modified with a…


Link to Full Article: Instagram users analysed by algorithm for signs of depression

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