New features allow you to edit and curate your algorithm on Instagram!

Social media feels casual, but it is anything but accidental. Every scroll, pause, like, and save quietly teaches your feed what to serve next. The result is a highly personalized highlight reel that can either inspire you… or slowly gnaw at your sanity like a mosquito you cannot swat.

Here’s the good news. You are not stuck with whatever shows up. Especially on Instagram, your feed is customizable, trainable, and surprisingly obedient when you know what to tweak.

Your Feed Is Not Random

Instagram’s algorithm is designed to show you more of what you engage with. If you linger on stressful news, comparison-heavy content, or outrage bait, the app interprets that as interest. If you engage with calm, educational, or joyful posts, it adjusts accordingly. Over time, this shapes not just your feed, but your mood, attention span, and self-talk.

Translation: your mental health is quietly co-authored by your scrolling habits.

Why This Matters for Mental Health as We Head Into 2026

A cluttered or negative feed can increase anxiety, comparison, burnout, and doom-scroll fatigue. A more intentional feed can support learning, motivation, creativity, and even rest. One makes you feel behind. The other reminds you that life is bigger than a 15-second reel.

Think of your feed like your home. You would not invite people in just because they knocked loudly.

How to Edit and Curate Your Instagram Algorithm

(for personal accounts, not business accounts)

1. On  your profile, select the 'Explore' button on the bottom
   
2. Select the hearts on two lines in the top right-hand corner
   
3. Instagram displays what it believes you are interested in
   
4. Edit these preferences by selecting the words you want to edit
   
5. Select the three dots (Ellipsis) where you can edit Political, Sensitive, and more content
   .    

A Healthier Feed Is a Practice, Not a One-Time Fix

Curating your feed is not about perfection. It is about awareness. Algorithms evolve, and so do you. Check in occasionally and ask a simple question. Does this feed support how I want to feel today?

If the answer is no, you have permission to edit ruthlessly.

Your mental health deserves better than an accidental algorithm. Curate your feed like it matters, because it does.