Instagram is Toxic for Teens Research Shows
If you’ve suspected social media could have negative effects, you’re right.
And Facebook’s own research proves it.
By Lynette Brehm
September 22, 2021
Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal published an article detailing information secured from a whistleblower on internal research done by Facebook.
In 2012 Facebook purchased Instagram and since then it has grown as one of the most popular apps among teens, with over 70% of U.S. teens reporting they use Instagram daily.
The research shows Facebook knows Instagram is toxic, especially for teen girls.
“Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.”
After looking through photos on Instagram, “I feel like I am too big and not pretty enough,” another teen told Facebook’s researchers. “It makes me feel insecure about my body even though I know I am skinny.”
Many parents believe social media helps teens by staying in contact with others—but to a teenage mind—it can have harmful effects. An unrealistic standard for what teens should look like is magnified online, leaving teens little chance to develop a healthy self-image.
In one study of teens in the U.S. and U.K., Facebook found that more than 40% of Instagram users who reported feeling “unattractive” said the feeling began on the app. About a quarter of the teens who reported feeling “not good enough” said the feeling started on Instagram.
If teens feel so bad after being on Instagram, why don’t they stop using it?
An Instagram research manager explained to colleagues “Teens told us that they don’t like the amount of time they spend on the app but feel like they have to be present,” according to the documents. “They often feel ‘addicted’ and know that what they’re seeing is bad for their mental health but feel unable to stop themselves.”
I think this piece of information is really helpful for parents.
First, the inherent design of Instagram and many social media apps is addictive in nature. Second, falling into the trap of Social Comparison (who looks better, who has more likes, who has more followers, etc.) can amplify pre-existing feelings of depression and anxiety. Then, there’s FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out that many kids experience. Put this together with a teenage brain already amped up with hormones and feelings of wanting to be accepted, and you’ve got a hard habit to break.
It’s no wonder millions of kids spend hours on Instagram each day.
And kids with pre-existing mental health issues can find putting the phone down even harder.
“Teens who struggle with mental health issues say Instagram makes it worse.”
Angela Guarda, Director for the Eating-Disorders Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital
Part of the issue stems from Instagram’s well-crafted algorithm. If a naturally thin teen boy wants to learn exercises to get stronger pectoral muscles, a quick search opens-up a sea of videos and pics of perfect bodies. Insta’s algorithm learns what the user is interested in and through the Explore feature, sends more of the same curated content. This can send the user deep into content that can be harmful.
What can you do?
Before making changes to your teen’s social media habits, talk to them about their Instagram usage. Sit with them and see what feeds they spend time on. Share and use this article as a teaching moment. Find out how your kids feel about social media and potential negative effects.
Limit their time on the app by changing settings on their phone. Once they reach a predetermined number of minutes, it will block usage. But if the teen knows the security code they can bypass the limit.
If you are going to take away something, it’s helpful to put something in its place. If you decide to limit Instagram usage, what will take its place? A device-free activity or another app?
If you’re an educator, conduct an anonymous poll to see if students agree or disagree with the statements in this article.
Find out how your kids feel about social media and potential negative effects.
What changes can we expect from Instagram?
Big Tech needs to start playing a better role as big brother. The responsibility cannot be solely on parents.
Either these platforms allow adult users only, or they need to be safer for kids. Beside the mental health effects, it's widely known that Big Tech companies platforms are riddled with child sexual abuse material but, because of how the federal law is written (Section 230 of CDA), they can wash their hands of 3rd party content.
The Facebook whistleblower helped shine a spotlight on an issue that has been masked by Zuckerburg and Instagram for several years. It opens up the conversation and helps parents think about social media usage for their teens.
According to Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee, in the coming weeks there is a hearing on Capitol Hill with representatives from Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Snap and YouTube to address negative effects of social media on teens’ mental health. - CNBC Interview
I believe positive change is coming to Big Tech. I hope it doesn’t take a generation to see it.
In the meantime, it’s up to us as parents and educators to monitor and be involved with our kid’s technology usage. It’s not always comfortable to start these conversations. But if we don’t, they have YouTube, Twitter, Snap, Insta --open 24/7.
Be involved. Be the parent.
Resources:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/17/senate-to-grill-tech-execs-after-report-on-instagram-teen-mental-health.html
