On May 11, 2021, many Instagram users noticed a new feature that appeared on the app. This feature allows users to add their pronouns to their profiles. 

Instagram’s new feature

The new pronoun feature would appear on a person’s profile bio. To add your pronouns you would press “Edit Profile” and the pronoun feature should appear. When you press on it, you have the option to add up to four pronouns. If you do not see your pronouns you can contact Instagram to request your pronouns to be added. Also, there is an option to show your pronouns to your followers only. 

For those who are under the age of 18, your pronouns will only be seen by your followers. 

Without a doubt, this has been a huge step in the modernizing world of social media.

 How to add your pronouns on Instagram

Instagram user’s thoughts on the new update

Ashley Massano, a frequent user of Instagram, expressed, “I think it is great! It might encourage more people to add their pronouns to their bio which in turn, will make presenting pronouns a more common thing in society and can make transgender or non-binary people more comfortable! “

Hiral Parikh adds, “I thought it was a pretty cool step, and a very direct way of Instagram letting us know they support the trans community. Whenever a major corporation decides to become more inclusive or become an ally publicly, it brings more awareness to LGBTQ topics and normalizes basic etiquette like pronouns into our daily lives.”

What are pronouns?

According to Merrian Webster defines pronouns as, “any of a small set of words in a language that are used as substitutes for nouns or noun phrases and whose referents are named or understood in the context,”

Undoubtedly, on a day-to-day basis, pronouns are used all the time. Some examples are she, him, and they.

Why are pronouns important?

Although it may seem like a “small” thing pronouns are important. Pronouns are a part of a person’s identity. Getting someone’s pronouns wrong can cause dysphoria and invalidates a person’s identity. However, gender identity is not equivalent to gender expression. If you don’t know someone’s pronouns just ask. It is better than guessing and then getting it wrong. 

If someone says their pronouns, correctly use them. Having your pronouns in your bio, even if you are cisgender, creates inclusivity and normalizes it. This stops those who are transgender and gender-diverse individuals from being targeted.