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Hello You,
Instagram is the leading social network for teenagers. And not only. It is also the one known for its cult of appearances. And precisely, this is not without impact on the young public. Recent studies prove that the social network has a negative impact on the mental and physical health of its young community. For example, 1 in 3 teenagers now believe that Instagram is making their relationship with their body worse. In short, it’s not a pretty picture. Passion Media comes back with you on the subject, the platform’s statements, and the future perspectives.
Instagram admits to having a negative impact on teenagers
Instagram is the most used social network by young people today. And yet. It’s also one of the most toxic. According to a shocking survey shared recently by the Wall Street Journal, the firm would even be fully aware of its potentially harmful impact on the health of the new generation (mental, physical, etc. …). An awareness that is therefore real, but a very limited action plan to date.
The perception of the body and self-confidence: two key subjects
The social network has mentioned in recent media interventions that it is currently working on solutions to protect its young audience, particularly on the subject of body perception and self-confidence. The only thing we know today? Users will be encouraged not to watch only content promoting the archetype of beauty (tall, thin, athletic, etc…). How will this work? Nothing concrete at this stage. The platform will put in place “means” when it detects that “people dwell on certain types of images”.
Millions of teenagers impacted on a daily basis
The social network would be able to precisely quantify its negative impact on young people. Specifically, it would be one in 3 teenagers who believe that Instagram worsens his relationship with the body. And when you know that the platform has more than 10 million people of this age, it is (very) worrying. Worse. Some teenage girls even go so far as to accuse Instagram of “increasing levels of anxiety and depression.” In short, not a very happy picture of the platform.
The social network tries to minimize the subject
The managers of Instagram are very regularly questioned on the subject, and very often tend to minimize it. Even recently, a person from the platform believed that Instagram, like other social networks, “are neither good nor bad”. It would simply be a reflection of the current society. A statement that is not without foundation, but that does not reassure about the willingness of the social network to change things, and to make its use more positive and constructive for all its users.
Towards a system of encouragement to watch positive things?
If we read between the lines, the social network would work on a system that would encourage its users to watch inspiring and positive content. According to them, this would be a way to get out of this cult of appearances so well known on the platform. But what does positive content mean? How to decide which content is appropriate or not? What does this incentive system consist of? When will we be able to see the first versions? What about the project mentioned by Mark Zuckerberg to develop a version of Instagram adapted to under 13s? Is it still in the works? No more information at this time. On the other hand, on the TikTok side, the platform seems to have already started the subject. We tell you about it here.
