Kim’s Instagram linked to negativity

Major social media stars including Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber and Charli D’Amelio are among celebrities whose Instagram followers experience more negative feelings about their self-image, according to internal Facebook research revealed by the Wall Street Journal this week, raising questions about the impact of celebrity culture online. The Journal released the leaked research slide decks, which served as the basis of articles it published earlier this month saying that Facebook knew its apps harmed the mental health of some teenage girls and young users.

The research, titled Social comparison on Instagram, surveyed 100,000 people in nine countries, including the US, Australia and Brazil. Facebook spokesperson Kevin McAlister said the survey’s findings made sense because the celebrities listed have more than 30 million followers each. — Reuters