- So far Instagram is the fourth most popular social network in the world with 1.4 billion active users.
- In the past it has been reported that it causes problems such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
- The most recent lawsuit claims that the company is aware of the harmful effects it causes and has not acted to prevent them.
Social networks have existed for decades, although they are currently experiencing their heyday. They have become the means used by millions of people to interact with each other and stay informed of what is happening in the world. But behind the benefits they offer there are also some negative aspects. Especially Instagram has been one of the most attacked and now faces a new lawsuit for harming the mental health of users.
The emergence of this medium occurred with the appearance of the internet in the middle of the 20th century. It was in the times after the end of the Second World War when a new way was created to be able to link two people at a distance. It was the natural evolution of the telephone and the radio, although at first it was kept for the exclusive use of the army and a handful of technology companies.
Some point to harpnet (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) as the first social network in history. It emerged more than half a century ago and was created for the exchange of information between higher education institutions in the United States.
Now, in 1997 the site was founded SixDegrees which is the modern version of everything that is known today. Its function was to demonstrate that all the people in the world are related to each other with a maximum distance of six degrees. At the time of its launch it was a commercial failure but today it is considered the formal start of modern social networks.
All of the above leads to the current scenario that the world lives. According to the database of Statistical more than half of the global population is registered in at least one means of communication of this type, being Facebook (Meta) the most popular.
In that tenor, Instagram, which belongs to the same owner, ranks fourth in the world with 1.4 billion active users. The general function of the portal is to allow photo sharing, although over time it has incorporated other functions such as publishing videos and live broadcasts.
Instagram and its effect on mental health
The influence that Instagram has is very strong both for good and negative in aspects such as health.mental lud In the past it has already faced lawsuits and now a new one filed by two families from the United States represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center.
What is mentioned is that the company prioritizes its economic gains over the well-being of its users. In addition, it is accused that the owners are aware of the power of the social network and have not acted to offer a solution.
Specifically, parents accuse that their children have developed a severe addiction to this social network. Among the harmful effects that it promotes are the depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Similarly, the plaintiffs indicate that the restriction of having at least 13 years to open an account is not enough. Adolescents are also at risk and, as occurs with products such as alcohol and tobacco, it is necessary to alert the risks of their consumption through legends and visual messages.