The video “The Dangerous Effects of Instagram on Teens” by The Dr. John Delony Show sheds light on the effects of the social media platform Instagram on teenagers. Dr. John Delony refers to internal research results from Facebook, the parent company of Instagram. These studies show that Facebook is aware of the negative influences and the associated risks. The documented effects range from worsened self-confidence, insecurities and anxiety to body image problems and even suicidal thoughts, as found in a study conducted by Facebook itself. The findings from this research raise questions about the responsibility of social media platforms such as Instagram and emphasize the need for measures to promote a healthier online environment for young people. Dr. John Delony himself calls on parents to ban Instagram and not let their children use this platform. I personally think that banning is not the right way to go, as young adults will then start to become active on the platform from the age when parents no longer have much influence over their teenagers. This would result in them simply being exposed to the problems 3-4 years later. On the one hand, this is of course positive, as the development of the brain and self-confidence has progressed. On the other hand, they are then thrown back in at the deep end and have to learn how to deal with the effects of the platform. My approach is therefore to learn Instagram and to trivialize all those features that have such negative consequences for teenagers. Instagram also has its advantages, which can be seen not least in how many users it now has and how much teenagers enjoy using the app.
