Internal research of Instagram finds teens negatively impacted, develop suicidal tendencies

The Instagram management further said that the research shows their commitment towards complex and difficult issues young people constantly grapple with. (Credit: The Indian Express)

The negative and harmful effects of social media including depression, lack of self-worth is public knowledge after several studies and analyses. Latest admission about the negative impact of social media was made by none other than the internal research team of Instagram. The internal research team of Instagram has found that Instagram application impacts the teens in the United States and the United Kingdom negatively, Wall Street Journal reported in an exclusive scoop.

Findings of Instagram’s Internal Research team
The Wall Street Journal got exclusive access to a presentation slide that the internal research team had presented to the internal message boards of Facebook which owns Instagram and many other social media subsidiaries including WhatsApp. The leaked presentation slide made by the research team reported that 32 percent of teen girls said that when they feel about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse. A large section of teenagers have also blamed Instagram as a major reason behind their depression and heightened anxiety. Another leaked slide showed that about 13 percent of the UK Instagram users and six percent of US Instagram users linked their suicidal tendencies to Instagram.

How did Instagram respond to the findings?
In a damage control mode, the management of Instagram released the statement and said that the Wall Street Journal story focuses on a limited set of findings and puts them in a negative light. While the application stood by the leaked research presentations in the story, it said that the focus of the Wall Street Journal story was limited. The Instagram management further said that the research shows their commitment towards complex and difficult issues young people constantly grapple with.

The statement further said that as per the final assessment of the research conducted by the Internal Research Committee the impact of social media was mixed. The application said that Instagram and in extension all other social media sites are not inherently good or bad and it is up to the users of social media as many find social media helpful while many find it problematic.