The documentary also met Chenade, an influencer who says she was prompted to have Brazilian butt lift surgery, one of the most dangerous cosmetic surgeries in the world, and promote it to her Instagram followers after “falling into the hype” of advertising. However, she said she later regretted the decision and wanted to raise awareness of the danger of ‘advertising’ on the app.

Black says that she didn’t realise the impact the constant comparison was having on her mental health, which led to her developing an eating disorder which steadily worsened.

“I wish someone would have been like ‘something is wrong here,’” Black added, saying that her experience has changed the way she uses the app and led her to create more “uplifting” content.

In 2021, reports circulated that Facebook has repeatedly found that its photo-sharing app is harmful to a significant percentage of teenagers, with teenage girls being most notably harmed.

“Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse,” the researchers reportedly wrote.

“Teenagers are killing themselves because of Instagram,” whistleblower Frances Haugen shares in the documentary.

Explaining how the app differs from other platforms, Haugen explains: “TikTok is all about performing and fun. Snapchat is about filters and face augmentation. Facebook’s internal research says Instagram is about bodies and social comparison. It’s about seeing these little windows into other people’s lives, and comparing what your life is like to theirs.”

The Instagram Effect: BBC Three’s eye-opening documentary delves into the shadows of social media harm