Recently The Wall Street Jounrnal published a series of articles, based mainly on internal Facebook documents, in which dramatic details were revealed of how Instagram affects the mental health of adolescents . Now, the head of the social network to share images and videos, Adam Mosseri, has tried to mitigate the controversy with some quite questionable statements.
The Instagram executive compared the damage that social networks do with traffic accidents. “We know that more people die than would otherwise die from car accidents, but overall, cars create much more value in the world than they destroy ,” Mosseri said at the Recode Media podcast. “And I think social networks are similar,” he added.
The controversial comments came after a question from podcast host Peter Kafka. He asked if Instagram should stop working or be limited if there is a real possibility that it can harm people in the same way that cigarettes affect health.
“Absolutely not, and I really don't agree with the comparison to drugs or cigarettes, which have very limited benefits, if any,” Mosseri said. “Anything that is going to be used on a large scale will have both positive and negative results. Cars have positive and negative results “, continued the head of Instagram.
Instagram, social networks and regulations
Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri But, the auto industry, unlike social media, is heavily regulated. In this sense, Mosseri was consulted about the potential regulations that could fall on Instagram. “We think we have to be careful because regulation can cause more problems ,” he replied. “But I think we are an industry big enough to be important and we have to make it evolve,” he added. .
The controversy did not take long to move to Twitter. In the social network of the blue bird, some users highlighted the regulations that fall on the automotive industry. One of them was the former Facebook executive, Brian Boland, who pointed out that the automotive sector also works under the control of the National Traffic Safety Administration (United States body).
But the head of Instagram did not take long to face the criticism, using his expertise to minimize things. In this sense, he called his analogy of cars “less than perfect”, although he insisted that social networks do more good than harm. “The culture of the headlines, to which yes, I know, social networks have contributed, is exhausting,” he closed on Thursday.
Leaked Facebook research reveals that the company is consistent that the mechanics of Instagram can cause teens to suffer from eating and mood disorders. “We make body image problems worse in one in three adolescents,” says an internal document.
