A new survey conducted in the UK has shown that Instagram has the most negative impact on young people’s mental health and well-being.
The poll conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health (RCPH) found YouTube to have the most positive impact on mental health, followed by Twitter and then Facebook.
In the poll, about 1,479 people aged 14-24 were asked a series of questions about whether social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter had an impact on their health and well-being, the BBC reported.
Participants were asked to score each platform on 14 health and well-being issues.
Snapchat and Instagram were given the lowest scores overall.
The RSPH report warns that “social media may be fuelling a mental health crisis” in young people.
It can also be used as a tool for good, the report said, and companies should be doing their best to make platforms a safe place to be.
About 90 per cent of young people use social media – more than any other age group – so they are particularly vulnerable to its effects, although it is not clear what these are on current evidence.
The poll as concluded by the participants as found that social media platforms can have a negative effect because they can exacerbate children’s and young people’s body image worries, and worsen bullying, sleep problems and feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness.
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