Adam Mosseri, the head of the photo-sharing app, told Congress on Wednesday that the app's effect on young people should be blamed on the entire industry. "But, mom, we were all doing it!"
Mosseri was questioned by the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security about the effects of social media on mental health of young people. He said that Congress overstated the damage done to young people and that the blame should fall on the entire industry.
Mosseri said that keeping young people safe online isn't just about one company. He said that child safety was an industry-wide issue.
Section 230 of the Communications Deceleration Act protects tech companies from being legally liable for what users post on their platforms. He said that more teens are using TikTok and YouTube than they are using Instagram.
He said that youth safety is the most important area to regulate.
Some of the negative effects for kids online are caused by other social media platforms. There is some proof that the effect of the app on young people is very specific.
According to the Wall Street Journal, documents from Facebook's own research found that "Instagram is harmful to a sizable percentage of teenage girls." Teens are more affected by social comparison and body image issues than adults, with some of the most intense experiences being loneliness, stress and depression. Almost half of all teen girls on the platform feel they compare their appearance to others on the platform, and a third feel intense pressure to look perfect.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an epidemic of suicide among young people. The rate of suicide among that age group increased from 2000 to 2007, making it the second leading cause of death for young people, according to the CDC.
We don't know why suicide has become a crisis for young people, and Mosseri argued against the idea that there was a link between suicide and the social media site. 6 percent of users in the US who said they had suicidal thoughts traced their thoughts back toInstagram, according to the company's own research. A quarter of teens who said they didn't feel good enough said they started thinking about it on social media.
The app is being made safer for young people. In May, they let users hide counts on their posts, but it didn't make the platform less attractive. Eliminating likes without getting rid of other elements of popularity is not enough to make a difference. The company dropped their attempt at a modified version of the app for young people that included additional controls. Mosseri still thinks it's a good idea to create a safe social media environment for young people, even though it came under fire during Wednesday's hearing.
On the day before his hearing, Mosseri announced new tools and features designed to keep young people safe. There are tools for teens to be told about different topics, a Take A Break feature, and tools for parents to keep track of how much time their kids spend online.
The Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential support if you want to talk to someone. To get connected to a crisis counselor, text CRISIS to 741741. Call the Help Line at 1-800-950-NAMI from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Email info@nami.org. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. There is a list of international resources.
