The US-based social media giant, Facebook’s internal research has revealed that its photo and video-sharing social networking platform, Instagram is creating toxic effects on some young people’s body image, especially on girls.
According to the research, leading social media stars including Ms. Kim Kardashian, Mr. Justin Bieber and Ms. Charli D’Amelio are among celebrities whose Instagram followers experience more negative feelings about their self-image.
The research, titled “Social comparison on Instagram,” surveyed 100,000 people in March and April 2020 in nine countries, including the US, Australia and Brazil.
Facebook spokesperson Mr. Kevin McAlister said the survey respondents were not asked to name specific accounts, but researchers found the celebrity accounts were “some of the most frequently seen accounts for people who told us they experienced either higher or lower levels of negative social comparison on Instagram,” based on the company’s internal data.
The findings made sense because the celebrities listed have more than 30 million followers each. Singer Ms. Ariana Grande and model Ms. Kendall Jenner were among the celebrities whose followers felt more negative social comparison, Facebook researchers found.
On the other hand, Instagram accounts belonging to “The Ellen Show,” which is hosted by comedian Ms. Ellen DeGeneres, American actor Mr. Will Smith and Brazilian soccer player Mr. Neymar had followers who felt “less negative comparison,” according to the research slide deck.
The findings are notable given that Instagram helped pioneer the rise of social media influencers and made efforts to recruit celebrities to the app in its early days.
The photos or selfies posted by celebrities, influencers and even friends on social media may be highly filtered to present the most attractive versions of themselves. Many of these photos are not a realistic portrayal and serve to promote unattainable appearance ideals.
Normally, people make comparisons between their own appearance and these edited and unrealistic photos and tend to judge themselves to be less attractive. These types of comparisons can negatively impact body image and overall mood and can also promote increases in harmful dieting and exercise behaviors.
Facebook researchers noted in the slide decks that the company could partner with the stars on campaigns to reduce negative comparisons. The company’s partnerships team also works with celebrities, musicians and other public figures to improve their presence on Instagram.
The Facebook researchers found that seeing more celebrity content in the Instagram feed was associated with more negative comparisons. Almost half of the content people see on Instagram comes from celebrities, the research noted.
