Facebook harmful to kids

DEMANDS are being made for social media companies to be compelled to act in the best interests of children.

Revelations that Facebook knew how harmful its platforms were to teenagers has underlined the urgent need for regulation according to Reset Australia, an independent technology advocacy organisation.

Internal research by Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram has revealed 13 per cent of teenagers in Britain reported suicidal thoughts linked to their use of Instagram.

Other internal research also explored how teens felt addicted to the platform, Instagram’s negative impact on teens’ body image, particularly for girls, and mental health more broadly.

Reset Australia executive director Chris Cooper said the fact Facebook and Instagram knew the pain it was causing users but didn’t act was a failure of self-regulation.

“Facebook is too big and too influential in our lives for it to keep deciding how it can operate. Self-regulation is failing our kids,” Mr Cooper said.