Instagram Research: Influence on Teens Mental Health

It would be challenging to find a teenager who doesn’t use Instagram or at least has never had an account there nowadays. Some people, especially bloggers, spend almost the whole day posting stories. Various content on this platform influences its users, particularly teenagers, who might follow diverse stars, models, etc., and compare themselves with others. Facebook did research recently to discover how Instagram affects people’s mental health. 

The results showed that one of three girls that use Instagram started to feel unattractive after surfing the platform. This info is based only on those users that reported body image issues. It means the numbers could be greater. The report revealed some other problems that might appear with using the application. According to the teens’ answers, they felt addicted to the platform. They tried to launch it less often but sometimes couldn’t restrain themselves from logging in. 

Some of the surveyed in 2019 claimed that Instagram was the reason for their depression and anxiety. According to the report, this reaction was unexpected in all research groups. Other studies showed that about 6 percent of US users and 13 percent of UK users with suicidal thoughts said the application might be one of the reasons for this. Overall, it’s challenging to say that these numbers are absolutely true, but they describe the problems quite well. 

An interesting fact is that Instagram causes social comparison among teenagers and adults more than Snapchat or Tiktok. It’s because Snapchat content is focused on funny filters and masks, and TikTok users want to show the best performance and creativity. So, according to the in-depth Facebook studies, Instagram harms the users’ mental health. However, it’s hard to say exactly how large it is or how many people it influences.

What do you think about this news? How does Instagram influence you, your family, and your friends? Leave a comment below to let us know your opinion on the topic.