Social media has proven itself to have a significant amount of influence over our lives, especially as impressionable high school students. In such an overwhelming time in our lives, it is important to keep a feed that helps to relieve anxiety, inform, and enforce a positive outlook on life. Over the years, I have made it a goal of mine to find celebrities, influencers, activists, and miscellaneous Instagram accounts that use their platforms to do just that. 

Lili Reinhart, @lilireinhart on Instagram

  Actress Lili Reinhart, best known for her role in Riverdale, has used her platform of nearly 25 million followers to preach the importance of body positivity. She encourages young girls to embrace their bodies—imperfections and all. She has vowed to never photoshop her body in pictures, and even condemned Cosmopolitan Philippines magazine for severely editing her body back in 2018 for a magazine cover. She spoke at Glamour’s 2018 Women of the Year Summit and gave a powerful speech about body image, relating back to her own personal struggles with the topic. Reinhart continues to speak out about body positivity with her raw and personal Instagram account. 

  Sanderson senior Anna Cappanola is a huge proponent of body positivity. She thinks Lili Reinhart using her platform to discuss these issues is extremely important saying, “You have to discuss body image because in today’s society there is so much that negatively impacts our feelings about ourselves on a daily basis, and it is largely overlooked or ignored.”

Self Care 4 You, @selfcare4yu on Instagram

  Self Care 4 You is a community dedicated to giving followers positive reinforcements on topics such as mental health, self acceptance, and practicing healthy habits. The Instagram account posts daily with short but helpful tips on how to live your most productive life. Examples of posts can range from meaningful questions to ask yourself more often, advice to live by, and how to gain more confidence. With over 400 thousand followers, the account is continuing to grow, and is a staple account to have on your feed. 

Sophie W., @officialmillennialblack on Instagram

  As the Black Lives Matter movement continues to fight for racial equality, it is important to not only show support for the movement, but to listen and amplify black voices. Sophie Williams uses her Instagram account to teach people how to be better allies, to direct her followers to black owned businesses, and to share informative posts about the movement. She has also written two books, “Anti-Racist Ally” and “Millennial Black,” both of which are available for pre-order. 

So You Want to Talk About…, @soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram

  So You Want to Talk About… is the best way to stay up to date on current events. This account has nearly 300 posts giving informative and short descriptions bringing awareness to issues occurring all over the world. No two posts are the same, giving a diverse perspective on any and all matters. The account has well over one million followers and is the easiest way to stay informed on what is going on in the world. Its feed is neat and orderly, making it easy to access any specific topic you may want to learn more about. 

  Social media has gotten a bad reputation for being a toxic environment for our generation. It is important to understand that you have complete control over what you want to take away from your Instagram. Start by following accounts that normalize different body sizes, spread positivity, and remember to prioritize your mental health.