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Implementing efficient solutions for negative effects of instagram App on people and

Meta Platforms employees

GROUP 2

Mankaran Singh

Amanjot Kaur

Dorsa Sadeghi

Lovekirat Singh

University Canada West

COMM 140

Instructor: David Karkut

February 28, 2023

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Introduction

With over 1.3 billion active monthly users, Instagram is among the most popular forms of social

media and a gigantic means of pop culture. Millions of people are increasing their connections

and reach, promoting their products worldwide, posting pictures and videos, and earning a huge

amount of money everyday. But despite having numerous advantages, Instagram mostly has a

negative impact on society and Meta platforms employees. Some of its harmful effects and their

possible solutions will be discussed in the following paragraphs, and to provide proper depth to

the research and for better understanding we will also take some help from various researches

and several expert’s views.

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Background problems

Despite being a popular app, there are still many issues that people encounter with Instagram.

Some of these issues are health-related, while others are business-related. Let's start by

discussing health-related problems like bodily shame, fear of public rejection, and how

comparison to others makes people feel weak and depressed from the inside. People began living

a fake life while using apps like Instagram because their only source of happiness is their social

media account. However, some of Instagram's services fall short of expectations, such as the

inability to post straight from the phone or download any real content. People must obtain certain

applications, such as Save video. People are also unhappy with Instagram's feature that notifies

us when someone follows us but provides no information when they unfollow us. The use of the

Internet, and especially appearance-focused social media, is linked with increased body image

and eating concerns, according to a review of 67 studies published in 2015 (7 years ago!).

Adolescents may be especially vulnerable to these effects due to developmental factors. The

evidence is even stronger today.

Solution

Implementing solutions that our team suggests can help meta platform employees manage and

decrease the negative effects of instagram on their personal lives, mental health and also its

effect on their job.

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Scope

Research published by the American Psychological Association (APA) indicates that Instagram

has been associated with depression, body image worries, low self-esteem, social anxiety, and

various other issues.

Statistics

A study conducted by Facebook between 2019 and 2020 yielded the subsequent findings on the

intersection of Instagram and mental health, underscoring how a proposed Instagram application

could affect preteens and young adults. Approximately 60 percent of teenage girls and around 40

percent of teenage boys using Instagram undergo adverse social comparison. Around three out of

ten employees who work in companies that have a social media policy in place utilize social

media while on the job to take a break.

Proposed Solution

Instagram is a great way to engage with people for personal or professional levels but still it has

its shortcomings.There are some solutions that our company can adapt to reduce the negative

effect of Instagram.

1. Creating awareness on the negative influence of Instagram on physical and mental health

by creating time to time seminars on these topics.

2. Creating more opportunities for social get- together for the company staff like outdoor

activities, company dinner, and meditation sessions.

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3. Creating policies to restrict the time used for instagram or any other social media

platforms during the working hours and try to include more breaks for mental

refreshment.

4. Providing support to those who are affected by the negative influence of instagram by

including counselling, peer support as part of the policy.

Benefits for implementing proposed solutions

The benefits of implementing these solutions will create more awareness about the negative

effect of instagram and staff can use these applications more mindfully . This also gives more

time to focus and increase more productivity. More get-togethers will create better team

building.

Costs

The table below shows the costs and fees of implementing this project.

These costs are for weekly activities that our group provides for Meta company employees.

Cost per sessions General cost for each

employee for one year

Awareness seminars $2 $100

Meditation sessions $10 $150

Company dinners $20 $800

Peer supports and psychology $20 $150

sessions

Exercise sessions and gym $30 $400

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memberships

Time management classes $15 $100

Price for all sessions in one week for one $50

employee plus taxes and other inquiries

Total price for one year service provided by $500

our team for each employee

Work plan

The team will arrange counselling meetings for each people to help them escape the anxiety that

they experience as a result of using social media platforms like Instagram. These workshops will

teach participants how to use social media appropriately to foster both virtual and actual as well

as actual relationships. This entire programme will last six weeks (about 1 and a half months).

Two distinct kinds of counselling sessions, covering both business- and health-related topics,

will be offered during the first three weeks. People would learn about the negative impacts of

excessive Instagram. However, our management has arranged some events over the past three

weeks, such as face-to-face conversations and opportunities for people to share their emotions

with others, which will help them feel more confident. The second action is that individuals will

start working on their interests in place of creating reels or uploading posts. which would benefit

them in the long run by assisting them in comprehending their inner motivations and areas of

interest. Finally, our management will take all of these actions into account.
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Summary

To sum up, Instagram is very dangerous and can cause various psychological effects on the

human brain and make them feel ashamed and uncomfortable by their own body by comparing

themselves with the fake life of so-called Instagram stars. In the worst case, it can also make

people more vulnerable to depression and anxiety. We hope that with the service that our group

provides we can ease the negative effects of this platform on Meta company employees.

Solutions such as spreading awareness about its negative mental and physical causes on health,

setting time limits for its daily usage, and providing support to the people who are suffering can

reduce its hazardous effects. By enforcing these strategies, people may use this application with

extra caution and with an open mind.

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References

Barker, S. (2023, January 13). 12 Annoying Instagram Problems and Easy Ways

to Fix Them in 2023. Shane Barker. https://shanebarker.com/blog/instagram-

problems/

Partner, A. (2020, June 12). 7 common challenges you are facing with your

business Instagram. Curated. https://dailyhive.com/montreal/7-common-

challenges-business-instagram-partner-content?auto=true

Sweeney, S. (2022, October 3). Instagram and girls—Negative effects and ways to

temper them – Welia Health. Welia Health.

https://www.weliahealth.org/2022/10/instagram-and-girls-the-negative-effects-and-ways-

to-temper-them/#:~:text=Body%20dissatisfaction%2C%20appearance%20anxiety%2C

%20lower,to%20these%20mental%20health%20issues.

Abrams, Z. (2021, December 2). How can we minimize Instagram's harmful effects?

American Psychological Association. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/03/feature-minimize-instagram-effects

Newport Academy. (2021, October 5). Instagram Kids and Mental Health. Newport

Academy. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from

https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/instagram-kids/

Montgomery, L., Jr. (2022, February 17). How Is Social Media Affecting Workplace

Mental Health? Forbes.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2022/02/17/how-is-social-

media-affecting-workplace-mental-health/?sh=7db248045205

Sarma, S. (2023, January 23). Use of Social Media in the Workplace- Advantages and

Disadvantages. Nurture an Engaged and Satisfied Workforce | Vantage Circle HR Blog.

https://blog.vantagecircle.com/social-media-in-the-workplace/

Kolmar, C. (2023, February 2). 30 Surprising Social Media At Work Statistics [2023]:

What Every Manager Should Know – Zippia. Zippia. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from

https://www.zippia.com/advice/social-media-at-work-statistics/

W. (2021, April 16). 45 productive things to do instead of social media. Habits

Buzz. https://habitsbuzz.com/productive-things-instead-social-media
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