{"id":340428,"date":"2021-09-17T01:54:47","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T22:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/instagram-wreaking-havoc-on-young-girls-and-it-knows-it\/"},"modified":"2021-09-17T01:54:47","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T22:54:47","slug":"instagram-wreaking-havoc-on-young-girls-and-it-knows-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/instagram-wreaking-havoc-on-young-girls-and-it-knows-it\/","title":{"rendered":"#Instagram wreaking havoc on young girls \u2014 and it knows it"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#Instagram wreaking havoc on young girls \u2014 and it knows it<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>When teenager Chloe Weinstein scrolls through Instagram posts by wildly popular, glamorous influencers such as Kylie Jenner, Daisy Keech and Madison Beer, she can\u2019t help but envy their jet-setting lifestyles and compare her figure to their toned silhouettes.<\/p>\n<p>Such feelings of inferiority have partly contributed to the 18-year-old\u2019s desire for breast implants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI get down on myself as I\u2019m often thinking: \u2018How do [the influencers] look so good in bikinis, flaunting all the fun stuff they do in places like the Bahamas?\u2019\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/chloeweinsteinn\/?hl=en\">Weinstein<\/a> told The Post.<\/p>\n<p>The college freshman of Randolph, New Jersey, is among the 32% of young, female Instagram subscribers identified by researchers as harmed by the platform. They found it exacerbates negative body image, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and, in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n<p>The March 2020 study was commissioned by <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a>, the company which acquired Instagram nine years ago. But executives like CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Karina Newton, Instagram\u2019s head of public policy, buried the concerns it raised, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739?mod=hp_lead_pos7\">according to the Wall Street Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Newton <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/about.instagram.com\/blog\/announcements\/using-research-to-improve-your-experience\">posted on Instagram<\/a> that while she believes the WSJ piece \u201cfocuses on a limited set of findings and casts them in a negative light,\u201d she added that \u201cwe stand by this research.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"734\" height=\"832\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Victoria3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=734\" alt=\"Victoria Garrick\" class=\"wp-image-19482270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Victoria3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 734w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Victoria3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=367 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\"\/><figcaption>Social media influencer and TED Talk speaker Victoria Garrick is critical of \u201cinauthentic\u201d images posted to Instagram.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of Victoria Garrick<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re increasingly focused on addressing negative social comparison and\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/about.instagram.com\/blog\/announcements\/how-were-supporting-people-affected-by-eating-disorders-and-negative-body-image\">negative body image<\/a>,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n<p>But their efforts don\u2019t wash with social media influencer and TED Talk speaker Victoria Garrick. While acknowledging benefits of Instagram, such as facilitating connections across the world, the 24-year-old slams the constant promotion of \u201cinauthentic,\u201d doctored photos and other exaggerated aspirational content impossible for impressionable young girls to achieve.<\/p>\n<p>Admitting to being part of the problem in the past, Garrick, who launched a lifestyle account in 2015, said: \u201cWhen I first got on Instagram, I felt a pressure to portray a certain image. I edited and altered my photos and presented a highlight reel online.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The constant fakery took its toll on her mental health and, after seeking therapy, she did a 180 by posting unfiltered pictures revealing her true, warts-and-all self. The LA resident, whose following has grown to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/victoriagarrick\/?hl=en\">337,000 on Insta<\/a>, now uses the hashtag #realpost and hopes other influencers and celebrities will follow suit.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"753\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Victoria1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Victoria Garrick pictured before and after PhotoShopping her image to look thinner.\" class=\"wp-image-19482315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Victoria1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Victoria1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Victoria1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Posting side by side images of herself, Victoria Garrick showed her followers the easily done technique of \u201cperfecting\u201d women\u2019s bodies using digital trickery. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of Victoria Garrick<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This development would be welcomed by Arizona native Carolyn, a 16-year-old who who is currently in treatment for an eating disorder. The high school junior, who asked that her last name be withheld for privacy reasons, maintains that her unhealthy obsession with fitness was partially triggered by Instagram.\u00a0It was made worse by the platform\u2019s \u201cExplore\u201d function, which employs artificial intelligence to serve users with curated material similar to content they\u2019ve previously viewed. In Carolyn\u2019s case, once she showed an interest in body building and related workouts, she was bombarded with so-called \u201cfitspiration\u201d posts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf this is what social media is telling me that\u2019s healthy, then I\u2019m going to start doing those things,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to be like those people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The posts featured buff-looking gym rats with washboard stomachs and wasp-like waists. Diet advice came under headings such as \u201cThe Golden Pyramid of Fat Loss\u201d and \u201cTop Fat Loss Supplements,\u201d and cutesy graphics and images of \u201chealthy\u201d portions.<\/p>\n<p>Mercifully, Carolyn, who is now working with nutritionist <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.MAKrd.com\">Megan Kniskern<\/a>, is more mindful of the damage Instagram can cause vulnerable teens.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstagram does not care for our well-being because they\u2019re not going to filter out all the bad stuff that could hurt our brains,\u201d she observed. \u201cThey just spit out the things that young girls my age click on \u2014 fitness workouts and posts about calories \u2014 which lead to fanaticism about our health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Carolyn\u00a0said the first thing Instagram should take to curb toxic content is re-thinking that \u201cExplore\u201d algorithm.\u00a0\u201cIt sucks you in,\u201d\u00a0she said, lamenting that if you \u201clike\u201d or follow one potentially-problematic post or account, it\u2019s a \u201cslippery slope\u201d to similar content.<\/p>\n<p> \u201cThere needs to be some level of responsibility for sure\u2026 I don\u2019t know what that would look like.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>Indeed, changes Instagram can make are amorphous because content is user-driven. Activists such as Garrick say that it would be too big a hill to climb to have the platform monitor every post \u2014 banning filters would be impossible to police.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Garrick urges influencers and celebrities to take this matter into their own hands by being truthful about digitally enhancing their images. \u201cI\u2019d like to ask everyone for transparency,\u201d Garrick said, suggesting those who use filters or PhotoShop add a hashtag or label to the picture signaling the alterations.<\/p>\n<p>Filters aside, images of willowy stars are impossible to avoid on social\u00a0media.\u00a0For Gwenyth Harrington, a member of the adolescent and teen support group run by the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/anad.org\/\">National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders<\/a> (ANAD),\u00a0pics of Gigi Hadid and Taylor Swift\u00a0were some of the dangerous factors behind her eating disorder.<\/p>\n<p>She was also negatively impacted by the platform\u2019s \u201cthinspiration\u201d posts, which can often spark competition between young girls to look the skinniest of their peers.<\/p>\n<p>The 17-year-old from upstate New York was twice admitted to the hospital where counseling helped her assess the damage caused by social media.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought: \u2018Wow! I need to unfollow people, especially the diet accounts and certain celebrities, cutting ties with them for the sake of my health,\u2019\u201d said Harrington. \u201cInstead, I started following a girl who promotes body positivity in every one of her posts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been a huge help and made me feel a whole lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Additional reporting by Doree Lewak<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>If you or someone you love is suffering from eating disorders, visit <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/anad.org\/\">ANAD.org<\/a> or call their helpline at 888-375-7767.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/09\/16\/instagram-wreaking-havoc-young-girls-and-it-knows-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Instagram wreaking havoc on young girls \u2014 and it knows it&#8221; When teenager Chloe Weinstein scrolls through Instagram posts by wildly popular, glamorous influencers such as Kylie Jenner, Daisy Keech and Madison Beer, she can\u2019t help but envy their jet-setting lifestyles and compare her figure to their toned silhouettes. Such feelings of inferiority have partly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":340429,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Insta.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[116043,76716,74833,74480,33423,71129],"class_list":["post-340428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-9-16-21","tag-body-image","tag-eating-disorders","tag-influencers","tag-instagram","tag-teens"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/340429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}