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Someone using Instagram.
Lorenzo Di Cola | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Facebook has repeatedly found its Instagram app to be harmful to a number of teenagers, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday.
The Journal cited studies from Facebook over the past three years that have examined how Instagram affects its young user base, with teenage girls especially being hurt. An internal presentation on Facebook said that among teens who reported suicidal thoughts, 13% of UK users and 6% of US users attributed the problem to Instagram.
“Thirty-two percent of teenage girls said that when they felt bad in their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse,” the researchers reportedly wrote. Facebook also reportedly found that 14% of boys in the United States said Instagram made them feel worse about themselves.
While Facebook has concluded that a large percentage of teens do not experience negative prejudice from Instagram, according to the Journal, the characteristics that the social media company has identified as the most harmful are among its key makeup.
According to the report, researchers warned that Instagram’s Explore page, which serves users with posts organized from a wide range of accounts, may push users towards content that may be dangerous. The app also has a culture of only posting the best photos and moments, and it works like an addicting product.
“Aspects of Instagram exacerbate each other to create a perfect storm,” the research said, according to the Journal.
Senior executives have reviewed the research, according to the Journal, and it was cited in a presentation given to CEO Mark Zuckerberg last year. Still, Facebook would have struggled to deal with the problem while keeping the app addictive. Facebook is also building a version of Instagram for kids under 13.
Young users are the key to Instagram’s success. More than 40% of Instagram users are 22 and under, according to documents seen by the Journal.
In a blog post, Instagram public policy manager Karina Newton responded to the report and said the company was looking for ways to prevent users from lingering on certain types of Instagram posts.
“We are exploring ways to get them to consider different topics if they repeatedly view this type of content,” Newton said. “We are cautiously optimistic that these nudges will help steer people towards content that inspires and uplifts them, and to a greater extent, will change the part of Instagram’s culture that focuses on the appearance of people. “
Read the full Wall Street Journal report.
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