(Faithwire) Instagram’s parent company, Facebook, has acknowledged just how harmful the photo-sharing app can be to teen girls’ self-esteem, according to an internal report obtained by The Wall Street Journal.
After studying the app’s impact on teenager users’ mental health over the last three years, researchers for the company found 32% of teenage girls who “felt bad about their bodies” said the problem was worsened by Instagram. In one study of teens in the U.S. and U.K., Facebook found that more than 40% of Instagram users who reported feeling “unattractive” said the feeling began on the social media app.
“Teens told us that they don’t like the amount of time they spend on the app but feel like they have to be present,” one Instagram research manager explained. “They often feel ‘addicted’ and know that what they’re seeing is bad for their mental health but feel unable to stop themselves.”