"Teens blame Instagram for increases in the rates of anxiety and depression among teens"

"Teens blame Instagram for increases in the rates of anxiety and depression among teens • This reaction was unprompted and consistent across all groups • Constant comparison on Instagram is 'the reason' why there are higher levels of anxiety and depression in young people • Social comparison and perfectionism are nothing new, but young people are dealing with this on an unprecedented scale. • The proliferation of new and different ways to compare themselves to others, combined with constant access to means that there is no way to escape social comparison on IG. • For both boys and girls, this was called out as being the number one reason why IG is worse than other platforms for mental health. And, young people openly attribute their increased level of anxiety and depression to Instagram." "'The reason why our generation is so messed up and has higher anxiety and depression than our parents is because we have to deal with social media. Everyone feels like they have to be perfect.' - UK Female" "Teens who struggle with mental health say Instagram makes it worse • Young people are acutely aware that Instagram can be bad for their mental health, yet are compelled to spend time on the app for fear of missing out on cultural and social trends. • Teens specifically call out the following as ways that Instagram harms their mental health: ◦ pressure to conform to social stereotypes ◦ pressure to match the money and body shapes of influencers ◦ the need for validation -- views, likes, followers ◦ friendship conflicts, bullying, and hate speech ◦ over-sexualization of girls ◦ inappropriate advertisements targeted to vulnerable groups" "Teens not satisfied with their lives are more likely to say IG makes them feel worse than those who are satisfied" "Social comparison exacerbates problems teens are dealing with • Although others' behaviors online can hurt, the self-scrutiny and anxiety associated with personal consumption patterns is more damaging to mental health. • Young people know this, but they don't adopt different patterns. • In some cases, they can get addicted to things that make them feel bad. • In the long term, constant self-critique and scrutiny will permanently shape the way a person views themselves in relation to others." "Social pressure, especially around body image, makes teens feel bad • Feeling like you have to look a certain way, do certain things, or buy certain things to fit in leaves teens feeling bad about themselves." "Social pressure leads to negative downstream effects • Teens called out ad targeting on Instagram as feeding insecurities, especially around weight and body image." "Teens talk about the amount of time they spend on Instagram as one of the 'worst' aspects of their relationship to the app. They have an addicts' narrative about their use -- it can make them feel good, feel bad. They wish they could spend less time caring about it, but they can't help themselves. Teens recognize the amount of time they spend online isn't good for them but at the same time know they lack the willpower to control the time spent themselves."