Instagram is the worst social network for users' mental health, according to a poll conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).
More than 1,400 young people aged 14 to 24 were asked to score social media platforms for their negative impacts, citing anxiety, depression, loneliness, bullying and body image.
The photo-sharing app came bottom, with users saying it impacted on their body image and sleep pattern and increased "fomo" - the fear of missing out.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It was followed by Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The survey is the centrepiece of a report by RSPH and the organisation Young Health Movement which recommends social media platforms introduce pop-up warnings to advice people when to rest rest after a period of heavy usage.
Some 71 per cent of the young people surveyed said they would back such a system.
The report also proposes that social media platforms identify those who may have mental health problems through the content they post and then "discretely signpost" where they can find support.
A third recommendation calls on the sites to flag up images that have been digitally manipulated in an attempt to avoid damaging a user's body image.
However, the survey also found instances where Instagram was considered good. It was ranked favourably for facilitating self-expression, community building and helping users find a sense of self-identity.
Facebook rated negatively for bullying and affecting sleep patterns but positively for emotional support and building online communities. YouTube was the only site felt to have a more positive than negative impact on users.
-
Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A: a ‘magnificent’ exhibitionThe Week Recommends The UK’s first show dedicated solely to the French queen explores the complex woman behind the ‘bling’
-
8 riveting museum exhibitions on view in the fallThe Week Recommends See Winslow Homer rarities and Black art reimagined
-
Crossword: September 18, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
Trump allies reportedly poised to buy TikTokSpeed Read Under the deal, U.S. companies would own about 80% of the company
-
What an all-bot social network tells us about social mediaUnder The Radar The experiment's findings 'didn't speak well of us'
-
Broken brains: The social price of digital lifeFeature A new study shows that smartphones and streaming services may be fueling a sharp decline in responsibility and reliability in adults
-
Supreme Court allows social media age check lawSpeed Read The court refused to intervene in a decision that affirmed a Mississippi law requiring social media users to verify their ages
-
What's Linda Yaccarino's legacy? And what's next for X?Today's Big Question An 'uncertain future' in the age of TikTok
-
ChatGPT psychosis: AI chatbots are leading some to mental health crisesThe explainer The technology may be fueling delusions
-
Social media: How 'content' replaced friendshipFeature Facebook has shifted from connecting with friends to competing with entertainment companies
-
Meta on trial: What will become of Mark Zuckerberg's social media empire?Today's Big Question Despite the CEO's attempt to ingratiate himself with Trump, Meta is on trial, accused by the U.S. government of breaking antitrust law
