Go to Fox Five Atlanta’s website at five. A former Facebook employee is raising concerns about the impact of social media on teenagers.
Bahar, a former senior staffer at Facebook and a father, testified before Congress, sharing his first-hand experience of his child facing unwanted advances on Instagram. He warned that Facebook is aware of the damage its platforms can cause to teens’ mental health and privacy. He highlighted that Instagram, in particular, is a vast public directory of teenagers, making them vulnerable to predatory individuals.
As several states sue Facebook for misleading the public and contributing to the mental health crisis, internal studies revealed that Instagram specifically was causing harm to teens, especially girls, leading to body image issues and suicidal thoughts. A spokesperson for Facebook stated that the company has developed numerous safety tools and is dedicated to keeping young people safe online. However, Bahar informed lawmakers that these safety tools have a long way to go..
