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Instagram Has Been Rated As The Worst Social Network For Young People’s Mental Health

Quit scrolling.

Instagram may be great for a number of things, but when it comes to the impact on the mental health of young people it’s now been ranked as the worst.

According to the #StatusofMind survey, the photo sharing social media app negatively affects people’s body image and the constant fear that they’re missing out on something.

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) report said: "The platforms that are supposed to help young people connect with each other may actually be fuelling a mental health crisis."

It’s since been suggested from the findings of the report that pop-ups on the sites could be introduced to warn people of heavy usage.

Shirley Cramer CBE, chief executive of the RSPH, said: "Social media has been described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol, and is now so entrenched in the lives of young people that it is no longer possible to ignore it when talking about young people's mental health issues.

"It's interesting to see Instagram and Snapchat ranking as the worst for mental health and wellbeing - both platforms are very image-focused and it appears they may be driving feelings of inadequacy and anxiety in young people.

"As the evidence grows that there may be potential harms from heavy use of social media, and as we upgrade the status of mental health within society, it is important that we have checks and balances in place to make social media less of a wild west when it comes to young people's mental health and wellbeing."

So the next time you realise you’re 53 weeks deep into a complete stranger’s Instagram feed, maybe put your phone down for five minutes?

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