Instagram says social media’s effect on people mental health “mixed”
3 years, 3 months ago

Instagram says social media’s effect on people mental health “mixed”

The Hindu  

Internal researchers at Facebook-owned Instagram have found the app poses serious mental health danger to many teen girls, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week, citing internal company documents. 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. “Issues like negative social comparison and anxiety exist in the world, so they’re going to exist on social media too,” Instagram noted.

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California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites
2 weeks, 1 day ago

California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember …

Missed out this month's Insta dump? Good: Study reveals mental health risks behind frequent posting
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Missed out this month's Insta dump? Good: Study reveals mental health risks behind frequent posting

Hindustan Times  

Have monthly dump posts made you a frequent social media poster? A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found a connection between frequent social media posting and higher risks of poor mental health. The researchers dived deep into the different types of social media users and how their usage behaviour affects their mental health. Active social media …

Cut risks, not potential, of social media for young with Instagram Teen Accounts
2 weeks, 2 days ago

Cut risks, not potential, of social media for young with Instagram Teen Accounts

India Today  

Being a great communication and learning tool for teenagers, managing the use of social media by them is becoming increasingly important. The idea behind Instagram Teen Accounts is to place teens in built-in protections and reassure parents that their children are having safe experiences. “Parents and educators play a vital role in managing teenagers’ social media experiences. Using these features, …

Your Instagram feed may fuel body insecurity, develop muscle dysmorphia: Study
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Your Instagram feed may fuel body insecurity, develop muscle dysmorphia: Study

Live Mint  

Social media is a different world where all sorts of discussions take place. But now a study from the University of South Australia, published in New Media & Society, has examined male body image issues as they too are affected by skewed portrayals of toned abs and biceps on TikTok and Instagram, reported Hindustan Times. According to the study, the …

Men beware! Your Instagram feed might be fueling body insecurity, muscle dysmorphia
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Men beware! Your Instagram feed might be fueling body insecurity, muscle dysmorphia

Hindustan Times  

Generally, body image issues stemming from unrealistic beauty standards on social media are primarily discussed in terms of how they affect women. The emphasis on muscular physiques in social media portrayals of men’s bodies triggers insecurity in men consuming this content and leads to muscle dysmorphia, a mental health condition where people obsessively believe their muscles are too small or …

Psychologist reveals intriguing reason why we obsessively stalk our own social media profiles
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Psychologist reveals intriguing reason why we obsessively stalk our own social media profiles

Daily Mail  

If you've ever been tempted to scroll though your own social media profiles, imagining what others might think of your life, you're not alone. And when this feedback isn't immediately available, Ms Skinner explained to Mashable, we try to imagine what it may be by examining what others would see when looking at our social media profiles. Stalking one's own …

If you’re a parent, Lauren Greenfield’s new doc about teens and social media ‘is a horror movie’
3 months, 3 weeks ago

If you’re a parent, Lauren Greenfield’s new doc about teens and social media ‘is a horror movie’

LA Times  

Documentary filmmaker Lauren Greenfield had spent her day with a group of high school students when a startling revelation came up that compelled her to go home and ask her two sons, then about 14 and 20, a question: “Is BDSM really a trend?” “Oh, yeah, choking is what we’re told girls want,” she recalled one of her sons saying …

Canada man sues social media giants YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, for being too addictive, causing negative body image
4 months, 1 week ago

Canada man sues social media giants YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, for being too addictive, causing negative body image

Hindustan Times  

A 24 year old man from Montreal, Canada, is launching a class-action lawsuit against social media companies like TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook for being “too addictive.” Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram apps are seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. The man started using social media in 2015, due to which, he claimed …

Troubling ties between teens, social media and mental health : Short Wave : NPR
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Troubling ties between teens, social media and mental health : Short Wave : NPR

NPR  

Why we need to talk about teens, social media and mental health Enlarge this image toggle caption Daniel de la Hoz/Getty Images Daniel de la Hoz/Getty Images Rates of depression and anxiety have risen among teens over the last decade. Amid this ongoing mental health crisis, the American Psychological Association issued guidelines for parents to increase protection for teens online …

The Surgeon General Proposed Warning Labels On Social Media. Will They Do Anything?
6 months ago

The Surgeon General Proposed Warning Labels On Social Media. Will They Do Anything?

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING A source recently let me know that the responses to an article I had written were a bit mean-spirited. In a New York Times essay published June 17, Murthy wrote, “The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor.” In the Youth Risk Behavior Survey published …

Social media: Abstinence can boost self-esteem
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Social media: Abstinence can boost self-esteem

Hindustan Times  

A Canadian study has found that refraining from social media for a week can have a positive impact on one's body image. Young women are particularly vulnerable to internalizing certain ideas of beauty For many young people on social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, it's hard to escape the beauty ideals and standards that are circulating, and …

Empowerment vs exploitation: Balancing benefits and risks of social media for women's mental health in digital age
9 months ago

Empowerment vs exploitation: Balancing benefits and risks of social media for women's mental health in digital age

Hindustan Times  

In today’s time, the rise of social media platforms has brought about unprecedented connectivity and communication and India, being the most populous country with the second-largest number of global Internet users, boasts a highly attractive and competitive Internet market. Empowerment vs exploitation: Balancing benefits and risks of social media for women's mental health in digital age {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} …

Empowerment vs exploitation: Balancing benefits and risks of social media for women's mental health in digital age
9 months ago

Empowerment vs exploitation: Balancing benefits and risks of social media for women's mental health in digital age

Hindustan Times  

In today’s time, the rise of social media platforms has brought about unprecedented connectivity and communication and India, being the most populous country with the second-largest number of global Internet users, boasts a highly attractive and competitive Internet market. Empowerment vs exploitation: Balancing benefits and risks of social media for women's mental health in digital age It is almost a …

Meta will limit reach of harmful content to teens on Facebook and Instagram amid scrutiny
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Meta will limit reach of harmful content to teens on Facebook and Instagram amid scrutiny

LA Times  

Meta said it will restrict inappropriate content for teenagers’ accounts on Instagram and Facebook, such as posts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. Facing increased scrutiny over its social networks’ effects on teenage users, Meta announced Tuesday that teens on Facebook and Instagram will see less content related to self-harm and eating disorders. Another change will automatically set users under …

Meta to hide posts about suicide, eating disorders from teens’ Instagram and Facebook feeds
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Meta to hide posts about suicide, eating disorders from teens’ Instagram and Facebook feeds

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Meta said Tuesday it will start hiding inappropriate content from teenagers’ accounts on Instagram and Facebook, including posts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. This is an important story, and can help destigmatize these issues, but it’s a complex topic and isn’t necessarily suitable for all young people,” Meta said. “Now, we’ll start to remove this type …

States sue Meta for harming young people's mental health, collecting data on children
1 year, 2 months ago

States sue Meta for harming young people's mental health, collecting data on children

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

California sues Facebook parent Meta over alleged harm to young people
1 year, 2 months ago

California sues Facebook parent Meta over alleged harm to young people

LA Times  

California and 32 other states on Tuesday sued Facebook parent company Meta over allegations that it “designed and deployed harmful features” on the main social network and its platform Instagram despite knowing about the mental health risks to young people. “In seeking to bolster profits, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its products.” The 233-page …

A small amount of body positivity can make a difference but more research is needed for creators, study finds
1 year, 6 months ago

A small amount of body positivity can make a difference but more research is needed for creators, study finds

ABC  

Tanned, thin and airbrushed. A new study from the University of New South Wales found viewing small amounts of social media content showing diverse body types could improve body satisfaction in young women. "Our previous research suggested that exposure to body positive content on its own in a laboratory setting could improve young women's body image, but we didn't know …

Experts on harmful effects of social media overuse in teens, suggest ideal screen time
1 year, 7 months ago

Experts on harmful effects of social media overuse in teens, suggest ideal screen time

Hindustan Times  

Social media use in teenagers can have profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents, said US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy in a new advisory urging parents, policymakers and technology companies to address the growing mental health crisis. Health experts in an interview with HT Digital talk about harmful effects of social media …

America's top doctor says social media presents 'profound risk of harm' for kids
1 year, 7 months ago

America's top doctor says social media presents 'profound risk of harm' for kids

Daily Mail  

America's top doctor has said social media presents a 'profound risk of harm' for children and has called for 'immediate action to protect kids now'. US surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy said in an urgent health advisory published Tuesday that the country is experiencing 'a national youth mental health crisis' and pointed towards social media as one of the main …

Top US health official warns of social media’s risk to children
1 year, 7 months ago

Top US health official warns of social media’s risk to children

Al Jazeera  

US surgeon general calls for tighter regulations and greater research on minors’ use of social media websites. Washington, DC – The United States surgeon general has warned that social media can have a “profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children”, calling for more regulations and research on minors’ use of internet platforms. The advisory highlighted …

Social media can put young people in danger, U.S. surgeon general warns
1 year, 7 months ago

Social media can put young people in danger, U.S. surgeon general warns

NPR  

Social media can put young people in danger, U.S. surgeon general warns Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/Getty Images Mandel Ngan/Getty Images Social media can present a real risk to the mental health of children and teenagers because of the ways their brains are affected by the amount of time they spend using it, the U.S. surgeon general warns …

‘Un-handsome’ babies, ‘too little’ Botox and how the internet became so cruel about people’s looks
1 year, 9 months ago

‘Un-handsome’ babies, ‘too little’ Botox and how the internet became so cruel about people’s looks

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

The Dark Side of Social Media: How it's Impacting the Mental Health of Our Youth
1 year, 11 months ago

The Dark Side of Social Media: How it's Impacting the Mental Health of Our Youth

News 18  

Have you ever thought about the darker side of scrolling on the screens for hours and hours, hooked to pictures and videos and manipulating your mind to ignore issues around you? Let’s understand the impact of social media on children’s mental health and what steps parents, guardians, and teachers can take to reduce this impact. Prakriti Poddar, Global Head, Mental …

The female body 'shouldn't be a trend'. So why do social media and diet culture treat it like one?
1 year, 11 months ago

The female body 'shouldn't be a trend'. So why do social media and diet culture treat it like one?

ABC  

Voluptuous Renaissance women, slim flappers, athletic 80s frames, "heroin chic" supermodels. Skinny jeans are out — and so, apparently, is the so-called "slim thick" aesthetic that so many women tried to emulate in the 2010s. Normalising 'bodywork' Dr Coffey says the family has normalised "bodywork" — that is, changing your body through diet, exercise, makeup, dress and augmentation — as …

The new idiot box: Long hours on social media alters the brain in children and young teens, makes them dull
1 year, 11 months ago

The new idiot box: Long hours on social media alters the brain in children and young teens, makes them dull

Firstpost  

A study by the University of North Carolina has revealed that habitual usage of social media like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat alters the brain in children and young teens. Neuroscientists at the University of North Carolina suggested in a recently published study that habitually checking social media as a young teenager leads to hypersensitivity to peer feedback and may potentially …

Facebook knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content: internal document
2 years ago

Facebook knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content: internal document

CBS News  

Families suing social media companies Suing Social Media: Families say social media algorithms put their kids in danger | 60 Minutes 13:29 A previously unpublished internal document reveals Facebook, now known as Meta, knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content. Attorney Matt Bergman started the Social Media Victims Law Center after reading the so-called "Facebook Papers," disclosed by whistleblower …

Meta launches new safety features for teen users of Facebook and Instagram
2 years, 1 month ago

Meta launches new safety features for teen users of Facebook and Instagram

Hindustan Times  

Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, is launching new tools to protect teens and their privacy on its platforms. Meta also shared an update on the work they are doing to stop the spread of teens’ intimate images online. “We’re sharing an update on how we protect young people from harm and seek to create safe, age-appropriate experiences for teens …

Young adults with disabilities find community in social media
2 years, 3 months ago

Young adults with disabilities find community in social media

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

Research finds Facebook, Instagram addiction in adolescents associated with inequality
2 years, 3 months ago

Research finds Facebook, Instagram addiction in adolescents associated with inequality

India TV News  

According to research, adolescents from deprived backgrounds are more likely to report an addiction to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and other social media. The authors say the results - based on more than 179,000 schoolchildren in 40 countries - suggest that new strategies are needed on social media use that reduce the impact of deprivation. These negative patterns include being unable …

3 things to know about your mental health
2 years, 5 months ago

3 things to know about your mental health

Live Mint  

Hello and welcome to yet another edition of our weekly wellness roundup. Whether it is fixing emotional eating in children, the way mental health has been portrayed on Stranger Things or the rise of Instagram therapists, we've got you covered. Ruchi Shahagadkar points out that the pandemic has brought conversations around mental health to the forefront, one deepened--in no small …

Yes, Instagram is bad for your therapist too
2 years, 5 months ago

Yes, Instagram is bad for your therapist too

Live Mint  

“It can get really draining to have to think of so many new ideas each day,” says Divija Bhasin, 25, a Delhi-based psychologist who started putting out mental-health-related content in the early days of the pandemic. The pandemic has brought conversations around mental health to the forefront, one deepened--in no small measure by the advent of social media and an …

Body Positivity Is Fine, But An Unhealthy Body Is Not — Why We Should Not Link The Two
2 years, 6 months ago

Body Positivity Is Fine, But An Unhealthy Body Is Not — Why We Should Not Link The Two

ABP News  

We humans, just like animals, have an innate need to reproduce. Obesity and psychology: Unfair disadvantage Lack of confidence: A lot of obese individuals go through a lot on a daily basis during all phases of their lives. Lack of security: A lot of us, obese individuals, go through phases of lack of security where we feel someone better 'looking' …

Social media impact: Shield India’s young
2 years, 8 months ago

Social media impact: Shield India’s young

Hindustan Times  

Adolescents feel worse about their lives the more they use social media, a study published in Nature Communications earlier this week found. There is already evidence that toxic social media exposure leads to depression, anxiety and low self-esteem in children. Last year, a whistleblower who worked at Facebook released documents that showed the company found its popular image sharing service …

Writing on the wall
2 years, 9 months ago

Writing on the wall

The Hindu  

A lot can happen in a year. In January 2021, when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg presented the social media giant’s fourth-quarter earnings, he said he plans to increase privacy-focused features, blend social commerce with messaging applications, and build the next computing platform. Facebook waning Though Facebook does not share data about the number of active users app wise, its core …

If social media has scarred my generation, what will the metaverse do?
2 years, 10 months ago

If social media has scarred my generation, what will the metaverse do?

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy In the …

Why having a positive body image is crucial to the wellbeing
3 years ago

Why having a positive body image is crucial to the wellbeing

Live Mint  

There are few things more certain to me than this. Although social media exacerbates feelings of negative body image, it's not a rare unicorn. According to research conducted by Dove's Self Esteem Project, when young girls don't like how they look, seventy per cent of them won't be assertive or stick with their decisions. In addition, Psychology Today found that …

Meta has moral obligation to make its research on mental health of children public, researchers say
3 years ago

Meta has moral obligation to make its research on mental health of children public, researchers say

India Today  

A global coalition of scholars has written to Meta, formerly Facebook, noting that the social media giant has an ethical and moral obligation to make its research on mental health public. “You and your organizations have an ethical and moral obligation to align your internal research on children and adolescents with established standards for evidence in mental health science,” the …

Instagram's effect on kids under probe in U.S.
3 years, 1 month ago

Instagram's effect on kids under probe in U.S.

The Hindu  

A bipartisan coalition of U.S. state attorneys general said on Thursday it has opened a probe into Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, for promoting its subsidiary Instagram to children despite potential harms. "Facebook, now Meta, has failed to protect young people on its platforms and instead chose to ignore or, in some cases, double down on known manipulations that …

State attorneys general probing Instagram’s effects on kids
3 years, 1 month ago

State attorneys general probing Instagram’s effects on kids

Associated Press  

A group of state attorneys general are investigating the photo-sharing platform Instagram and its effects on children and young adults, saying its parent company Facebook — now called Meta Platforms — ignored internal research about the physical and mental health dangers it posed to young people. “For too long, Meta has ignored the havoc that Instagram is wreaking on the …

Instagram investigated by US states over impact on kids
3 years, 1 month ago

Instagram investigated by US states over impact on kids

Al Jazeera  

The probe involves at least nine states and comes at a time when Facebook is under scrutiny over its approach to children. A bipartisan coalition of United States state attorneys general said on Thursday it has opened a probe into Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, for promoting its subsidiary Instagram to children despite potential harms. “Facebook, now Meta, has …

Multiple states investigating Instagram over efforts to get children active on its platform
3 years, 1 month ago

Multiple states investigating Instagram over efforts to get children active on its platform

LA Times  

A group of U.S. state attorneys general are investigating Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram photo-sharing app over its efforts to engage children and young adults, taking aim at the risks the social network may pose to their mental health and well-being. “Our coalition will not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to protect children and young adults from the harms …

Opinion: It’s time for social networks to take a close look in the mirror
3 years, 1 month ago

Opinion: It’s time for social networks to take a close look in the mirror

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Kara Alaimo, an associate professor of public relations at Hofstra University, is the author of “Pitch, Tweet, or Engage on the Street: How to Practice Global Public Relations and Strategic Communication.” She was spokeswoman for international affairs in the Treasury Department during the Obama administration. Asked how their platforms affect the mental health of teens and even promote …

October 25, 2021 internal Facebook documents revealed
3 years, 1 month ago

October 25, 2021 internal Facebook documents revealed

CNN  

While Facebook has repeatedly come under fire over the past few years for its role in disseminating misinformation, especially related to the 2016 election, the last two months have been especially turbulent as a whistleblower and top officials have been called to testify in front of Congress following the release of leaked internal research and documents. Spread of misinformation In …

Facebook to change rules on attacking public figures on its platforms
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook to change rules on attacking public figures on its platforms

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc will now count activists and journalists as "involuntary" public figures and so increase protections against harassment and bullying targeted at these groups, its global safety chief said in an interview this week. Facebook also differentiates between public figures and private individuals in the protections it affords around online discussion: for instance, users are generally allowed to call for …

Facebook will try to ‘nudge’ teens away from harmful content
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook will try to ‘nudge’ teens away from harmful content

The Hindu  

A Facebook Inc executive said Sunday that the company would introduce new measures on its apps to prompt teens away from harmful content, as U.S lawmakers scrutinise how Facebook and subsidiaries like Instagram affect young people's mental health. Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president of global affairs, also expressed openness to the idea of letting regulators have access to Facebook algorithms …

Instagram and teens: How to keep your kids safe
3 years, 2 months ago

Instagram and teens: How to keep your kids safe

Associated Press  

For many parents, revelations this week from whistleblower Frances Haugen showing internal Facebook studies of the harms of Instagram for teenagers only intensified concerns about the popular photo sharing app. To comply, social media companies have generally banned kids under 13 from signing up for their services, although it’s been widely documented that kids sign up anyway, either with or …

Facebook knows it is in trouble as Mark Zuckerberg picks his battles
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook knows it is in trouble as Mark Zuckerberg picks his battles

Hindustan Times  

When Senator Edward Markey on Tuesday called Frances Haugen “a 21st-century American hero,” it underlined the trouble Facebook finds itself in. Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook is defending allegations that the company has long ignored teenage safety on its platforms, particularly Instagram, resolving conflicts in favour of profits. Facebook has been accused of hiding internal research about how Instagram’s algorithms were negatively …

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy
3 years, 2 months ago

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy

NPR  

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images A former Facebook product manager told Congress on Tuesday that the company's products harm children and stoke division, while Facebook executives hide research about the social network's risks to keep its business humming. Facebook internal research provided by Haugen …

Ex-Facebook employee tells Congress social media giant endangers users, democracy
3 years, 2 months ago

Ex-Facebook employee tells Congress social media giant endangers users, democracy

LA Times  

Former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen testified Tuesday before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. “The company’s leadership knows ways to make Facebook and Instagram safer and won’t make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people,” said Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist who has …

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