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Instagram will let a team of researchers have a close look at its data to examine how the platform impacts the mental health and well-being of teens and young adults.
The Meta-owned social media giant can be hesitant to get involved in such projects when there is intense scrutiny of its actions and potential harm inflicted on users, but this time is much different. It has launched a pilot program with the Center for Open Science (COS).
The project is aimed to support the study of areas related to the use of social media and its mental health impacts, but Meta will not be involved in the process of determining which research proposals are carried forward.
Research teams will be required to recruit teens to participate as well as receive parents’ consent.
Instagram will allow researchers to access its data for around six months, including key information such as time spent on the app, and how many accounts a teenage user follows. Conversely, there will be limits to what is disclosed, such as demographic info on a user or the specific details and contents of their Instagram activity.
📢 New opportunity! Meta and COS have opened an RFP for a pilot program using Instagram data to study social media’s impact on youth well-being. Check out the details and see if it fits your research: https://t.co/jCheql0toa.
— Center for Open Science (@OSFramework) July 17, 2024
This issue has been under the spotlight for quite some time, with pressure growing on the social media companies on both sides of the Atlantic. Back in October 2023, a massive collective lawsuit was filed by 33 US states accusing Meta of knowingly engineering its platforms like Instagram and Facebook to be addictive and harmful to the mental health of children. It specifically named five Instagram features that are causing direct harm.
More recently, in May this year, European Union (EU) regulators confirmed another probe into Meta over concerns the social media giant potentially breached online content rules on child safety.
Curtiss Cobb, Meta’s VP of Research acknowledged the ongoing debate in terms of social media’s impact on youngsters, adding “we need more data to understand the full picture.” He mentioned the involvement of parents, policymakers, academics, and Big Tech in the discussion, and with children at the center of the issue, the onus is on the stakeholders to deliver progress.
