By Sheila Dang

(Reuters) – According to an internal Facebook research, Charli D’Amelio, Justin Bieber, and Kim Kardashian are some of the most popular social media celebrities who experience negative self-image feelings. This week’s Wall Street Journal report raises questions about celebrity culture.

The Journal published the leaked slide decks of research on Wednesday. They were the basis for articles earlier in the month that stated Facebook knew its apps had harmed mental health of certain teenage girls.

This research was titled “Social Comparison on Instagram” and surveyed 100,000 respondents in March and April 2020 across nine countries including Brazil, Australia, and the United States.

Kevin McAlister, spokesperson for Facebook, stated that the respondents weren’t asked to identify specific accounts. However researchers discovered celebrity accounts as “some of most commonly seen accounts” among those who reported experiencing either more or less negative social comparisons on Instagram based upon internal company data.

The findings were logical, he said. Celebrities listed in the report have over 30 million followers.

Facebook researchers have not examined whether celebrities’ celebrity connections lead to negative emotions.

Facebook researchers discovered that Kendall Jenner, a model and singer, was among those whose fans felt the worst social comparisons.

Facebook Researchers noted that they could work with stars to create campaigns to decrease negative comparisons.

The research slide deck found that Instagram accounts of the “The Ellen Show” (which is hosted by Ellen DeGeneres), Will Smith, a comedian from the United States, and Neymar the Brazilian soccer player had “less negative comparisons.”

These findings are noteworthy because Instagram pioneered the rise in social media influencers. In its early days, it tried to attract celebrities to the app.

An anecdote in the book “No Filter, The Inside Story about Instagram” states that Ashton Kutcher, an actor who made Instagram more popular with celebrities, helped to introduce Grande to the company.

According to some LinkedIn bios, the company’s partnerships department also collaborates with musicians, celebrities and others to increase their visibility on Instagram.

Facebook’s researchers discovered that celebrities were more likely to be featured in an Instagram feed than others.

According to research, almost half the Instagram content is created by celebrities.