Always quick to make notable public outings, Elon Musk, the new boss of Twitter, once again distinguished himself by posting an unequivocal tweet.
A few days after recognizing that it was necessary “spend less time on social media” (in response to a study reporting the isolation of Americans), he admits that “Twitter makes people angry” (even if obviously for him Twitter looks more like a playground).
But according to him, his social network is no worse than Instagramproperty of Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp), which “depresses people”. And to ask his 126 million followers: “What’s worse?” »
“A much better life than in reality”
It’s not the first time that Elon Musk has attacked Instagram remember Business Insider. Already in 2018, the billionaire criticized the photo and video sharing network. “People seem to have a much better life there than in reality” he asserted.
Criticizing Instagram in 2023 is no longer subversive. Sociological studies have largely demonstrated that the photo-sharing social network has dramatic effects on users, especially among adolescents.
The internal studies of Meta, parent company of Instagram, revealed by the wall street journal in September 2021 show how the social network can have harmful consequences on the image and mental health of the youngest.
More precisely, “one in five teens say Instagram damages their self-esteem” details the page of an internally distributed presentation. 23% of UK teenage girls surveyed say the app makes them feel “a little worse” and 2% “really worse” when they use Instagram. Among boys, the trend is the same, to a lesser extent. Yet Meta persists in saying that Instagram is good for the mental health of young people.
Towards a more positive Twitter?
Elon Musk giving lessons in positivity while Twitter is a well of hate is a bit like the hospital mocking charity. Following the publication of his tweet, a user asked him about the possibility of designing a social network that can help people feel good.
The recent Twitter boss replied that his social network “could tend towards positivity” in the future. “We will try to make this more the case” he promised. Don’t we say that promises only bind those who believe in them?
