Instagram,a mobile application, which allows users to share their pictures and videos, has been ranked as the most harmful factor in young teens' mental health, according to a news report.

The Royal Society for Public Health and Young Health Movement created a survey with a target audience of 1,500 young people belonging to the age range of 14-24.

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The online survey contained questions on scoring each popular social media sits such as YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The basis for scoring was a list of 14 health and wellbeing issues such as bullying, loneliness, depression, sleep, anxiety, depression and even fear of missing out.

Based on ratings, Youtube earned the most positive impact on young teens' mental health. This was followed by Twitter and Facebook.

Instagram was considered to have the most negative impact among the young teens based on the ratings. Instagram was found to cause distorted perceptions on body image and have a harmful effect on sleep.

Aside from Instagram, Snapchat also earned a low rating.

Shirley Cramer, the chief executive of RSPH, said both platforms focus more on image, thus driving feelings of anxiety and insecurity among young people.

Public health experts have summoned all social media platforms to implement measures in reducing harm to mental health. These include pop-ups warning users of prolonged use of social media, identifying users with potential mental health problems and highlighting digitally manipulated photos.

Tom Madders, the representative of YoungMinds, a mental health charity, revealed that these measures can help young teens.

Madders added that protecting young people from a specific content will not solve the rise of mental health issues. Young people also need to have a proper understanding of risks involving online behavior and an appropriate response to harmful content.

Michelle Napchan, the head of policy in Instagram, said that the social media platform's top priority is encouraging people to express themselves comfortably especially the young people.