If you see teens posing for a selfie, taking a snap of their meal before taking a bite, or pointing and clicking on an awesome view, you know they’ll probably upload it on Instagram. The platform has become such a popular visual micro-blogging app that the term “Instagrammable” has come to pertain to photos that are beautiful enough to be posted on the app.
A platform that flaunts aesthetics: it seems like a pretty harmless app. But is it still harmless when studies suggest that it can make younger users depressed and anxious? Lawmakers are looking into the platform – and its mother company, Facebook – for answers.
Instagram Users Statistics
Statista’s Instagram statistics 2021 tell us that the platform’s highest share of users is the 18 to 24 group, with 13.1 percent female and 17.9 percent male users. This group is followed by the 25 to 34 group, followed by the 35 to 44 section.
The minor teen group or those who fall between 13 to 17 are fewer compared to their older counterparts. Despite the smaller Instagram demographics, research shows that the app could have serious effects on its younger audience.
In fact, no less than Facebook’s own research says that the platform could foster threats to young users’ well-being. For one, reports claimed that the platform makes body issues worse for teens. To be more accurate, an internal report that Wall Street Journal accessed in 2020 says 32 percent of teen girls who had issues with their bodies said the app made them feel worse.
Another slide said teens blame the platform for increased rates of depression and anxiety. But besides teens, this feeling was also the same among other gender demographics of the platform.
The Worst Social Media for Mental Health?
An article written by Amanda Macmillan for Time in 2017 centered on why Instagram is the worst social media for mental health. The article mentioned a Royal Society for Public Health study saying Instagram has the most negative effect on well-being. The survey found that compared to other platforms – Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Snapchat – Instagram was the worst for mental health.
So, Why is Insta getting the biggest backlash?
In its defense, the app is a good tool for self-identity and to express oneself. However, it is also a major factor in fear of missing out or FOMO.
Just imagine being a teen still trying to find your ground. Turning to Instagram, you’ll see a slew of posts of people traveling to stunning places, getting dibs on lavish stuff, and flaunting unreal standards of beauty. It will most likely make you feel envious or even foster self-pity.
Instagram for Kids?
Facebook announced that it’s building Instagram for Kids – a version for users under 13 years old. Because of this, lawmakers are giving the platform a closer look.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who lead the Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security Subcommittee, will be probing the tech firm’s research into the platform’s negative effects on its young audience. In a joint statement, they said that they are already in touch with a Facebook whistleblower.
Child safety groups, parents, and others have also made moves to make Facebook cancel the project.
However, the tech firm isn’t letting up that easy. Instagram’s Head of Public Policy Karina Newton maintained that social media isn’t inherently good or bad. Newton says the effects of the platform can depend on how people use social media. Also, it can largely rely on the audience’s state of mind while using it.
Newton also pointed out that the platform has taken steps to gear users against bullying. Instagram is also focusing on how to address body image issues, though it wasn’t clear how.
