Instagram for Kids Impact on Teenage Girls’ Mental Heath? – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

Instagram for Kids

• Instagram for Kids is supposed to be an app for children under the age of 13. Currently, the age limit to be on Instagram is 13.
• “kids are getting phones younger and younger, misrepresenting their age, and downloading apps that are meant for those 13 or older,” which is why they wanted to launch an app for them

• Instagram for kids will be aimed at children between 10-12 years and will require parental permission to join.
• Further, “it won’t have ads, and it will have age-appropriate content and features. Parents can supervise the time their children spend on the app and oversee who can message them, who can follow them, and who they can follow

• Facebook is pausing its move to launch an ‘Instagram Kids’ app following scrutiny from lawmakers and other groups over how it impacts teen girls and their mental health.

• The company’s move follows an explosive mid-September report by The Wall Street Journal that found Facebook knew from its own research that Instagram was harming some teens, especially girls, leading to mental health and body image problems and in some cases eating disorders and suicidal thoughts.

• Internal researchers at Facebook-owned Instagram have found the app poses serious mental health danger to many teen girls.
• Facebook is also said to have acknowledged that it makes body image issues worse for one in three girls, according to the report. Additionally, several teen users also blamed Instagram for increasing rate of anxiety and depression, it noted.
• Further, a majority of Instagram users who said they felt ‘unattractive’ found that the feelings began on the app.
• The report also spoke to several teenage girls who pointed out how using the app made their body-image issues worse, and in some cases led to eating disorders.
• Instagram countered the report stating it focuses on “a limited set of findings” and that the company stands by its research.
• It demonstrates our commitment to understanding complex and difficult issues young people may struggle with, and informs all the work we do to help those experiencing these issues,” Instagram said in a statement.
• The image-sharing platform added that social media’s impact on the wellbeing of people is “mixed” and depends on the state of mind when people use it.
• According to the company’s research, many users said Instagram makes things better or has no effect, but it may make things worse for those who are already feeling down.
• In a separate post, Instagram wrote that while they believe an Instagram for Kids is the right thing to do, they are pausing the work. “We’ll use this time to work with parents, experts, and policymakers to demonstrate the value, and need for this product. We’ll continue to build opt-in parental supervision tools for teens
• While it is true that studies have shown that social media, in general, is fueling anxiety and depression in users across age groups, Instagram needs special focus.
• The addictive nature of Instagram, its emphasis on ‘best moments’, filters that enhance skin tone or lighten the eyes, and the dominance of influencers who promote a glamorous lifestyle, can create a toxic environment.
• And for teens who might be struggling with self-worth, this can be a potent combination. As one of the researchers told WSJ that ‘Instagram is like a drug’ and it needs to be studied.
• While Instagram is trying to fix some of its problems, there’s no doubt it is the place where everyone wants to maintain an image. And for teens–who might already be struggling– the pressures of the platform can make living up to these ‘ideal’ images a lot harder.

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