Sep 15, 2021 10:41:00

It turns out that Facebook continues to recognize that Instagram is harmful to teenagers

Instagram, a social networking site where people can post photos and videos and communicate with each other, is used by people all over the world, including young people. Facebook, which owns Instagram, is working to protect young people by

banning 'adults from sending messages to teenagers who are not following them,' but new internal information has been leaked, revealing that Facebook has long recognized that 'Instagram is harmful to teenagers.'

Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739

Facebook documents show how toxic Instagram is for teens: WSJ

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/14/facebook-documents-show-how-toxic-instagram-is-for-teens-wsj.html

Facebook has previously conducted a survey on how Instagram affects young people, and the results were posted on an internal bulletin board, but the Wall Street Journal, a foreign newspaper, has obtained this internal information. The survey results include reports such as '32% of teenage girls felt sick when they had an unpleasant experience on Instagram' and 'Of the teens who considered suicide, 13% of British and 6% of Americans blamed Instagram for it.'

The study also noted, 'Instagram's tendency to encourage users to only share their best moments and pressure users to look perfect may create a downward spiral that drives teens towards eating disorders, depression and poor health.'

According to the Wall Street Journal, the findings were reviewed by Facebook executives and cited in an internal presentation in 2020. However, despite reports of problems with teenagers, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that 'using social media can be beneficial for mental health,' and the company has

announced plans to build an Instagram for children under the age of 13, suggesting that Facebook may not understand the nature of the problem, the Journal points out.

In a recent interview, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said, 'We are carefully investigating the issue of Instagram and children.' Following the Wall Street Journal report, US Democratic Senator Lori Trahan called for the company to immediately abandon plans for a children's Instagram and focus on protecting young people, while House Energy and Commerce Committee member McMorris Rodgers said, 'We will continue to demand transparency as Facebook and other major tech companies' products are linked to harm to children.'