Recent internal documents disclosed by the Wall Street Journal have revealed troubling insights about Instagram’s effects on the mental well-being of teenage girls. It is increasingly clear that the platform is contributing to negative body image issues, with research indicating that one in three girls feel worse about their bodies after using the app.
Despite the evident negative repercussions of social media on self-esteem and mental health, particularly among teens, Facebook (the parent company of Instagram) has shown a lack of urgent action to address these issues. The Wall Street Journal’s report highlights that Facebook’s internal research has been focused on understanding Instagram’s harmful impacts on its younger users for several years.
Internal findings from March 2020 disclosed that “32% of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.” The platform encourages unhealthy comparisons among users, altering how young women perceive and describe themselves. Many teens feel “addicted” to Instagram, expressing a desire to limit their usage but struggling to resist the urge to check the app frequently.
Moreover, Instagram has been identified as more detrimental than other platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, which focus more on entertainment rather than body image. The app’s emphasis on visual content amplifies feelings of inadequacy among its users.
Over the past three years, studies conducted by Facebook have consistently shown that a significant portion of teen girls experience negative mental health outcomes linked to Instagram. Alarmingly, in a 2019 report, they concluded, “We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls.” Additionally, teens have attributed rises in anxiety and depression directly to the app.
Notably, over 40% of teens who reported feeling unattractive linked these feelings to their Instagram usage. Among the troubling statistics, a study showed that 6% of American teens who experienced suicidal thoughts associated these feelings with their time on Instagram, with the percentage rising to 13% among British teens. Given that around 22 million teens in the U.S. log onto Instagram daily, these figures raise serious concerns.
Despite the mounting evidence, Facebook executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, have downplayed these findings, asserting that social media can have positive mental health benefits. Their plans to launch an Instagram version for children under 13 have also sparked significant backlash from lawmakers, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these issues.
For further insights and to explore the internal documents, research, and testimonials from teen users, click here to access the full report.