According to a report of the Wall Street Journal, Facebook found that his app Instagram And harmful and particularly toxic for teenagers. However, it appears that the company is doing nothing on the matter. Let’s find out all the details together.
The Wall Street Journal analysis for points regarding Instagram
Below we report theanalyses of the Wall Street Journal by points and, later, we will delve into them.
- Facebook has been conducting in-depth studies on Instagram’s impact on its millions of young users for at least three years. However has not yet shared the results publicly.
- The journal obtained and published presentation slides in which researchers summarized the results of what they called a “deep dive into adolescent mental health.” Among them is a study according to which Instagram increases “The complexes relating to the physical aspect”.
- The company’s internal research found that “teens blame Instagram for the increased rate of anxiety and depression.” The researchers described this reaction as “spontaneous and consistent across all groups”.
- Among adolescents who reported suicidal thoughts, about the 6% in the United States and the 13% in the UK led them back to Instagram.
- The researchers noted many of these problems are unique to Instagram because it focuses heavily on the body and lifestyle.
In-depth research
The Wall Street Journal quoted some Facebook studies, carried out in the last three years. According to what was revealed, these studies looked at how Instagram hits younger users. In particular, he highlighted that the teenage girls were harmed most notably.
An internal Facebook presentation revealed that among teens that have reported suicidal thoughts, 13% of British users and 6% of American users they traced the problem back to Instagram.
“32% of teenage girls said that when they felt bad about their body, Instagram made them feel worse,” the researchers wrote. Facebook also reported that the 14% of kids in the US said Instagram has them make yourself feel bad about yourself.
While Facebook concluded that a large percentage of teenagers is not negatively damaged by Instagram, according to the Journal, the characteristics that the social media company has identified as the most harmful they are part of his “Key tactic”.
According to the report, the researchers revealed that the page Explore Instagram, which offers curated posts to users from a wide range of accounts, can also show potentially harmful content. The application has a particular policy, according to which the social post only the best images and moments, acting as an addictive product.
“The aspects of Instagram aggravate each other, until they create a perfect storm,” the research said, according to the Journal.
Some notable executives looked at the research, according to the Journal, which was cited in a presentation given last year to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Still, Facebook reported that it struggled to manage the problem by keeping users engaged. Facebook is also making a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13.
Young users are a key to Instagram success. More than 40% of the users of the social network he is in his twenties, or even younger, according to the materials viewed by the Journal.
Transparency and clarity: Facebook does not act
The Journal’s report compounded a lawmaker’s concerns about Facebook’s idea of make a children’s version of Instagram. The representative Lori Trahan spoke about his concerns regarding the mental health of young people in relation to the use of social media. Regarding this it also has scolded Facebook for considering the idea of making a similar product.
Following the Journal’s report, Trahan asked Facebook to “immediately abandon plans for Instagram for Kids.” He later pointed out of focus on protecting existing young users.
Internal Facebook documents show that the company’s failure to protect young people on Instagram – especially girls – is outright negligence. A problem that has been going on for years, ”Trahan said in a statement.
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a leading Republican in the Chamber’s Energy and Commerce committee, said Facebook “refused to comply” with a request from Republicans. The group, in March, had asked for one internal research on the impact of its products on mental health of young people.
A Facebook spokesperson said that due to the proprietary nature of the research and confidentiality concerns for study participants, it can be difficult to share internal data outside the company. “However,” says the spokesperson, “Facebook is always trying to be more transparent about its internal studies.”
“This makes us wonder what else they are hiding,” said McMorris Rodgers. “We will continue to ask for transparency from Facebook and other Big Tech companies, especially regarding the damage their products have on our children.”
Republicans have circulated some drafts of various discussions on the law. Among them we find one that asks platforms like Facebook to submit regular reports to the Federal Trade Commission on the impact of their companies on mental health of young people.
Facebook “knows that Instagram is toxic to teenagers but they don’t care. He’s too busy shutting out conservatives and stifling free speech, ”the senator said Josh Hawley, R-Mo. su Twitter.
Instead the senator Ed Markey, D-Mass, defined the findings of the report “Scary” in a tweet and said he “demands answers from Mark Zuckerberg”. The Democratic Commissioner of the FTC Rohit Chopra he then tweeted: “Given the financial incentives built into the surveillance-based business model, this is another sign that the company cannot be trusted with our data.”
What does Instagram think
“Research on the effects of social media on people’s wellbeing is mixed and our research mirrors external research.”
This is what we read in an Instagram blog post. “Social media is not inherently good or bad for people. Many find it useful one day and problematic the next. What seems to be most important is how people use social media and their state of mind when they use them ”.
The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, revealed that he is “proud” of the research.
“I pushed very hard to embrace our responsibilities more broadly,” he said. Mosseri’s comments mark a turning point compared to the beginning of 2021. Earlier this year he revealed to reporters that the research he had seen suggested that Instagram’s impact on the well-being of teen users “wasn’t big enough.”
However Mosseri is not the only manager a minimize the impacts of the platforms of social media on the mental health of young people. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed last May that according to him “the research is not conclusive”. Facebook also has refused repeated requests from members of Congress to share his research on the mental health of young people.
Even the head of public policy of Instagram, Karina Newton, responded to the report. Newton revealed that the company is looking for methods to deter users from dwelling on certain types of posts on Instagram.
“We are exploring ways to get them to look at different topics and posts if we realize they are repeatedly watching malicious content,” Newton said. “We are cautiously optimistic that these stimuli will help direct people to content that can inspire them.”
The Wall Street Journal’s detailed research, in addition to having outlined the possible dangers of the app for young users, he also highlighted the importance of these users for its success. More than 40% of Instagram users are characterized by young people, which are key to the annual revenue of approx 100 billion dollars of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal.