Facebook has repeatedly found that its Instagram app is harmful to many teenagers, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Tuesday.
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The magazine cited Facebook studies conducted over the past three years that looked at how Instagram was affecting its young users, with teenage girls being particularly affected. An internal Facebook presentation said that Instagram had caused several teenagers to have suicidal thoughts.
“32% of teenage girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse,” the researchers wrote. Facebook also found that 14% of boys in the U.S. said Instagram made them feel worse about themselves.
While Facebook concluded that a large percentage of teens are not being negatively harmed by Instagram, the features the social media company described as most harmful are part of its core components, according to the Journal.
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According to the report, researchers warned that Instagram's Explore page, which shows users posts from a wide range of accounts, can push users to content that may be harmful. The app also has a culture of posting only the best images and moments and acts as something of an addiction.
Top executives have reviewed the research, and presented the results to Mark Zuckerberg over the past year. However, Facebook is reportedly struggling to address the problem. Facebook is also creating a version of Instagram for children under 13.
Younger users are key to Instagram's success. More than 40% of Instagram users are 22 years old and younger, according to the Journal.
Information source: cnbc.com
