Social media is something my teens struggle with - the appearance that everybody is beautiful, happy, the posted pictures making it look like everybody's lives are so great. And of course its addicting. Honestly, Instagram and Tik Tok are just things that are just so effectively addictive. 2 links below - one from the story on CNBC and the other the link to the full story if you have a WSJ account:
"While Facebook concluded that a large percentage of teenagers aren’t negatively harmed by Instagram, according to the Journal, the features that the social media company identified as the most harmful are part of its key makeup. According to the report, researchers warned Instagram’s Explore page, which serves users curated posts from a wide range of accounts, can push users into content that can be harmful. The app also has a culture of posting only the best pictures and moments, and it operates as an addictive product.
“Aspects of Instagram exacerbate each other to create a perfect storm,” the research said, according to the Journal.
Top executives have reviewed the research, according to the Journal, and it was cited in a presentation given last year to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Still, Facebook has reportedly struggled to manage the problem while still keeping the app addicting. Facebook is also building a version of Instagram for kids under age 13."