launch an ‘Instagram Kids’ app following scrutiny from lawmakers and other groups over how it impacts teen girls and their psychological state .
But, how does Instagram get connected to the psychological state of teens, and is that the
The WSJ report is predicated on Facebook’s own internal research, which showed that Instagram was negatively impacting teenage audiences. within the case of teenage girls, the app likely contributed to worsening body image issues.
The report references one slide from Instagram’s research, which showed that the app made body image issues worse for one in three teen girls, who were surveyed. Another slide said teens blamed the app for increasing anxiety and depression across groups. Around 13 per cent of British and 6 per cent American teen users, who were a part of the study, reported suicidal thoughts and linked them to Instagram, consistent with the report.
Further, a majority of Instagram users who said they felt ‘unattractive’ found that the emotions began on the app. The report also spoke to many teenage girls who acknowledged how using the app made their body-image issues worse, and in some cases led to eating disorders.
In a detailed response disputing WSJ’s claims, Facebook Vice-President and Head of Research Pratiti Raychoudhury accused the publication of cherry-picking facts. “Our internal research is a component of our effort to attenuate the bad on our platforms and maximize the great . We invest during this research to proactively identify where we will improve — which is why the worst possible results are highlighted within the internal slides,” she wrote.
Regarding body issues in girls which the app was toxic for women , she wrote that their research showed that “on 11 of 12 well-being issues, teenage girls who said they struggled with those difficult issues also said that Instagram made them better instead of worse.”
Facebook’s claim is that “using Instagram helps” teenagers once they are battling issues they “have always faced”. the corporate also made public the slide that was mentioned by the WSJ report, adding that it had been only on the difficulty of body image that “teen girls who reported battling the difficulty said Instagram made it worse as compared to the opposite 11 areas.” It said on other issues like loneliness, sadness, etc the app made girls feel better.
Facebook claims that some aspects of the research, like “teens blame Instagram for increases within the rate of hysteria and depression” were supported inputs from only 40 teens. Given the app has quite a billion users, it says that the responses of 40 users aren’t representative.
It should be noted that Facebook has not publicly released all the info around its research on the app and its impact on teenage audiences.
In a separate post, Instagram head Adam Mosseri wrote that while they believe an Instagram for teenagers is that the right thing to try to to , they’re pausing the work. “We’ll use this point to figure with parents, experts, and policymakers to demonstrate the worth , and wish for this product. We’ll still build opt-in parental supervision tools for teens,” he added.
Instagram for teenagers is meant to be an app for youngsters under the age of 13. Currently, the regulation to get on Instagram is 13. Mosseri also wrote that “kids are becoming phones younger and younger, misrepresenting their age, and downloading apps that are meant for those 13 or older,” which is why they wanted to launch an app for them.
In their view, the kids’ version of Instagram would give parents more control and supervision compared to the regular app. He says this could not be seen as “an acknowledgement that the project may be a bad idea.”
Instagram for teenagers are going to be aimed toward children between 10-12 years and can require parental permission to hitch . Further, “it won’t have ads, and it’ll have age-appropriate content and features. Parents can supervise the time their children spend on the app and oversee who can message them, who can follow them, and who they will follow,” he explained.
While it’s true that studies have shown that social media, generally , is fueling anxiety and depression in users across age groups, Instagram needs special focus. The addictive nature of Instagram, its emphasis on ‘best moments’, filters that enhance skin tone or lighten the eyes, and therefore the dominance of influencers who promote a glamorous lifestyle, can create a toxic environment. And for teens who could be battling self-worth, this will be a potent combination. together of the researchers told WSJ that ‘Instagram is sort of a drug’ and it must be studied.
In fact, when it involves body image issues, the impact isn’t just limited to teenage girls. Even adult women have suffered from body image problems thanks to Instagram. The app was slammed by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), which wrote a scathing letter in May this year.
The health agency called out the app for not doing enough to clamp down on the promotions of ‘Apetamin’, a weight gain drug being peddled by many influencers on the platform. Apetamin, which has serious side effects including liver failure, is usually employed by women who desire a more curvaceous figure.
While Instagram said in response that it took “down accounts that sell and advertise Apetamin”, it’s not too hard to seek out others doing an equivalent thing using search functions on the app.
While Instagram is trying to repair a number of its problems, there’s little question it’s the place where everyone wants to take care of a picture . And for teens–who might already be struggling– the pressures of the platform can make living up to those ‘ideal’ images tons harder. this is often exactly why the United States Senate is questioning Facebook executives in the week .
