T he features within Instagram that cause teenage girls to develop negative feelings about their body image may be baked into the very core of the platform, researchers and former employees have said in the wake of new revelations that the company did not disclose what it knew about its impact on young users. Facebook, which owns Instagram, has known for years that the platform is harmful to the mental health of many teenagers—particularly girls—but has kept internal research about the issue private, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Tuesday. Instagram said it was proud of the research, and that it is constantly improving how its app works to protect users from harm. According to researchers, platforms like Instagram can contribute to body image issues and depression because humans have an innate desire to compare themselves to others. But social media apps like Instagram exacerbate that problem for a segment of the population that is already prone to making these comparisons, some experts argue. Research shows that when users are presented with a more diverse range of appearances, backgrounds, and body shapes and sizes on social media, there can be a positive impact on their mental health and body image, according to Phillippa Diedrichs, a leading body image researcher who said she has carried out paid consulting work for Instagram. Instagram said in a blog post on Tuesday that its internal research shows social media usage can be beneficial as well as detrimental, and said that it is working on structural changes to its platform to counteract how it contributes to negative body image issues.
How Parents Can Help Girls Push Back
What the Research Says
With social media apps, filters and editing galore, young people are easily accessing free and easy-to-use software that allows them to change their appearance. The longer girls spend editing their photos, the more likely they are to experience low body esteem. This culture of normalised editing perpetuates a cycle of seeing edited images from others, feeling subpar, then adding more edited images to the virtual space to feel better. If you have young children and are wary of these issues but are unsure of how to help, Professor Phillippa Diedrichs, research psychologist and body image expert at the University of West England, shares her key tips with Metro. Make sure young people are seeing a wide net of appearances — not just Western ideals which exclude many ethnicities. Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam Metro. MORE : Struggling with self-doubt? MORE : Designer creates swimwear to help trans women feel sexy and confident. FB house promo. Share this article via facebook Share this article via twitter Share this article via messenger Share this with Share this article via email Share this article via flipboard Copy link.
Account Options
It's not a law that you have to post a selfie before, during, and after every activity. But for kids, it's pretty much mandatory. More Videos Talking to teens about social media. Why it's so important to let your kids fail. How to get your kid to stop saying 'like'. Teach your kids to say 'I'm sorry' and mean it. What to do if your child thinks you're a bad parent. Raising spoiled kids?
Christia Spears Brown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Plenty of peer-reviewed research papers show the same thing. Understanding the impact of social media on teens is important because almost all teens go online daily. Teens are more likely to log on to Instagram than any other social media site. It is a ubiquitous part of adolescent life. Yet studies consistently show that the more often teens use Instagram, the worse their overall well-being, self-esteem, life satisfaction, mood and body image. One study found that the more college students used Instagram on any given day, the worse their mood and life satisfaction was that day. There are two key features of Instagram that seem to make it particularly risky. First, it allows users to follow both celebrities and peers, both of whom can present a manipulated, filtered picture of an unrealistic body along with a highly curated impression of a perfect life. While all social media allows users to be selective in what they show the world, Instagram is notorious for its photo editing and filtering capabilities.
