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Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

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Re: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

#61

https://archive.is/egPlc “The research that we’ve seen is that using social apps to connect with other people can have positive mental-health benefits,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at a congressional hearing... “We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls,” said one slide from 2019, summarizing research about teen girls who experience the issues. “Teens blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiet…

At some point I just wish Zuckerberg would give one single fuck.

Re: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

#62
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's their fault. An individual girl in 1995 who was concerned with her looks had at most a couple dozen people in her life to judge her. In 2021 it's hundreds of millions, and a large portion are more than happy to spout things they would NEVER say in real life. Does society value beauty? Sure. Do models set "unrealistic expectations"? Sure. Are some high school girls assholes to other girls? Absolutely. But once up…

Yes, but on flipside said girl now can and fully expects to be courted by best boys well outside of 1995 logistic reach.

You say this like it's some kind of benefit to the girl in question... IMO seems far more likely to lead to increased harassment and negative outcomes, rather than being a positive.

Re: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

#63

Is it Facebook / Instagram's fault or us as a culture? As a culture we adore beauty, wealth, power...Facebook seems to be just a platform where our natural desires can have a play. Facebook hasn't created this impossible beauty ideal, it was created long long ago by Hollywood and the fashion industry. Facebook just makes it super easy for people to become obsessed with something by "connecting" with it. It used to be…

If you are the designer of an environment that induces pathologic behavior in people is your fault or theirs? PS: Where is the people that use to proudly say "with great power comes great responsibility"?

Where are they? Making salaries beyond most people’s imaginations. And many honestly believe that “just” enabling communication and engagement can’t be a bad thing.

Re: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

#64

how do employees of Facebook reading this justify their employment?

Just like all the other FAANG-ites do, six figure salaries.

I'll admit it, I'd also toss my ethics to the side for that kind of money. Hell, I'd do it for half of that, some people out there would for less, even.

Re: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

#65

Is it Facebook / Instagram's fault or us as a culture? As a culture we adore beauty, wealth, power...Facebook seems to be just a platform where our natural desires can have a play. Facebook hasn't created this impossible beauty ideal, it was created long long ago by Hollywood and the fashion industry. Facebook just makes it super easy for people to become obsessed with something by "connecting" with it. It used to be…

> Facebook just makes it super easy for people to become obsessed with something by "connecting" with it.

“Just”? I would say this is plenty enough. And this is done willingly. So is it their fault ? Yes (not exclusively though)

Re: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

#66
I don't blame Facebook (or Twitter, or any particular company) for this.

We can only blame scale. Some things are much more scalable than others, and "beauty" scales. And the "occurrence of beauty" does, too.

Before the advent of scale on almost every aspect of our lives, a local musician or theatre group found easy income.

Now, since after the invention of gramophones, more people can listen to less and less musicians, i.e. numerically.

One movie is seen across the world and then millions of times on streaming services, while your local theatre group starves.

Just like that, before, some people were considered more beautiful than others as it is done now. But one beautiful girl could only make, say, 20 girls jealous and anxious.

Now, with the advent of Instagram, and internet-driven scale in general, one beautiful girl makes 20,000 girls jealous. So the anxiety and jealousy is numeracally widespread. This is where beauty scales.

Also, before, one average looking girl felt threatened by the beauty of one beautiful girl in her area. Now, there is the "feed", where she sees hundred girls more beautiful than her. This would not have been statistically possible in earlier times. This is where "occurrence of beauty" scales. Where, hundred years ago, a girl would see maybe 3-4 girls better looking than her, now she sees 300.

____

- I don't believe in a set standard of beauty. I don't believe that beauty is objective either. In this comment, I use "beauty", "beautiful", etc. as a short and logistically convenient way to represent "perceived beauty", "seemingly beautiful", etc. I hope this won't be an issue.

- I am also aware of other sources of anxiety, one simply being money- money buys new clothes more frequently, and people in new clothes and/or makeup look more pretty. Cosmetic surgery is in similar line. Here what scales is display of wealth.

- Filters, editing, etc. also might play a big part. People know this. Hence the popularity of the "Instagram vs. Real Life" meme format.

Re: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

#67
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where have you been for the last 10 years? And it’s not just youth. It’s adults too.

I think the number for teens/tweens is much higher compared to adults, and that is what they are getting at. Adults can(presumably) make their own decisions. Younger brains will likely have difficulty in finding the steps to break out of the loop.

Much higher compared to adults? I don’t see it. Younger brains having a harder time breaking out of addiction than adults? I don’t see that either.

Re: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

#68

When I was a kid, my parents worked really hard to teach my how and why to avoid things that would harm me. This ranged from discouraging behaviors like running with scissors or drinking and driving, to substances like tobacco or heroin. Social media did not exist when I was a child, or I'm certain it would have been among those behaviors taught to me as harmful, addictive, and easy to screw yourself up by being invo…

Avoiding something completely can have very negative outcomes long term and can spur massive relapses if enough tension builds up. Realistically one would want to learn to be mindful, do things in moderation, etc...

Harder said than done though.

Re: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

#69
post #54

Perhaps teen girl culture is what's toxic.

Anecdotal, but as a kid from the 90s it always felt like kids were really abusive/toxic and there were always power dynamics going on.

Kids are brutal. I'm not sure if it's like that everywhere but it sure feels like a universal truth.

Re: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

#70
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mark’s use of the word “can” is what makes it technically not perjury.

And Frosted Sugar Bombs can be part of a nutritious breakfast.

I like a bowl of Frosted Sugar Bombs along with an egg white omelet and fat free no-sugar yogurt :-)
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