Adolescence is a time of heightened vulnerability around body image. Instagram’s policy to stop teens viewing posts advertising weight loss ‘solutions’ and cosmetic procedures is socially responsible.
The Russians won’t be alone in spreading disinformation in 2020. Their most likely imitator will be Iran. Also, Instagram could get even more infected with intentional misinformation than it has been.
Instagram’s experimental move to hide the ‘like’ count on social media postings could lighten the mental strain for many users - or simply turn comments into the new likes.
The ‘revenge body’ was once the domain of celebrity gossip. But with the advent of social media, anyone can publicly display a ‘new’ body post break-up.
With sharp political commentary just as likely to be found on Tumblr as in the pages of the Times, why aren’t the best internet memes being published in the nation’s top periodicals?
A study of Instagram influencers has found most employ a highly sexualised aesthetic drawn from mainstream adult film. And many are subject to sexual harassment, ranging from aggressive comments to physical threats.
Do your Instagram viewing habits trigger joy or guilt? New research shows that viewing body positive content may actually improve women’s body image – at least in the short term.
Parents have engaged in forms of ‘sharenting’ for generations. The digital age has complicated things, but while critics make some valid points, they’re not seeing the forest for the trees.
Consuming too much social media when users end up comparing their lives to others more glamorous can leave one with bad feelings say researchers. But pretending or fantasizing is not all bad either.
A growing number of parents are making money out of their children by turning them into social media celebrities. But the chimera of corporate branding is no antidote for lives lived in precarious times.
Professor Digital Culture, Business and Computing at Durham University Business School and Advanced Research Computing (ARC), Durham University, Durham University