An internal investigation conducted by Instagram and obtained by The Wall Street Journal indicates that the company is aware of the impact the social network has on the mental health of younger people.

"We make body image issues worse for one in three girls," reads one of the conclusions of this research, quoted by Notícias ao Minuto. 

What's more, the findings state that in teenagers in the US and UK, 40% say they started feeling unattractive after they started using Instagram.

Instagram's findings indicate that the social network has become a "social comparison" tool for younger girls who, exposed to pictures of idealized bodies, are negatively impacted.

The findings of this investigation come at a tricky time for Facebook, when the company has been heavily criticized for wanting to launch a version of Instagram for children.