Instagram says it is looking at new ways to discourage users from focusing solely on their appearance after the Wall Street Journal revealed that Facebook researchers have repeatedly found the photo-sharing platform to be toxic for teenage girls.
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The article reported Tuesday that Facebook (FB) researchers have been conducting studies for the past three years on how the app affects its millions of young users. The research shows that the platform can harm mental health and body image, especially among teenagers.
“We are making body image issues worse for one in three teenage girls,” said an internal presentation obtained by The Journal.
Karina Newton, head of public policy at Instagram, wrote in a statement posted Tuesday and referenced in the article that while Instagram can be a place where people have “negative experiences,” the app also gives a voice to marginalized people and helps friends and family stay connected.
Newton said Facebook's internal investigation demonstrated the company's commitment to "understanding complex and difficult issues that young people face and helping them address them."
According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook researchers concluded that some of the mental health problems among teens were related to Instagram and not social media more broadly, specifically “social comparison.” Users then compared everything to other people on the platform (wealth, looks, success).
The research has been reviewed by top Facebook executives, according to The Journal, and was reported in a 2020 presentation made to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
See also: Instagram: Requires other data from users – their birthday
Newton said in her blog post Tuesday that Instagram is “increasingly focused on addressing negative social comparison and negative body image.” One idea is to encourage users to post about different topics and not repeatedly show this type of content.
Source of information: edition.cnn.com
