UK based cosmetics company succulent On 26 September the world shut down its Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat accounts, showing concern about the effects of social media following its revelations by Facebook whistleblower Frances Hogen.
The Guardian reports that the cosmetic giant had previously issued a statement, saying, “Concerns about the dire effects of social media as the evidence against climate change has been ignored and underfunded for decades.” is being largely ignored now”.
The announcement came just before one of the biggest shopping days and the brand is fully aware of the fact that losing these channels to its millions of customers will take a big blow to its business. CEO Mark Constantine also acknowledged the damage social media has had on the mental health of teens.
“I’m happy to leave Facebook and lose £10 million,” he said, adding that he hopes to lose money by closing the social media accounts. The report states that Lush has 10.6 million total followers on Facebook and Instagram. He also said that Lush had ‘no other choice’ but to shut down the accounts following Meta’s own research into the adverse effects of Instagram on teenage girls’ mental health.
The report said that he said, “We have tightened during the period of Kovid, it will not destroy us. We are talking about suicide here, not spots or whether one should dye their hair blonde. How can we suggest we’re a caring business if we look at it and don’t care?”
The cosmetic giant has taken a public stand on various social issues over the years and even quit Facebook and Instagram in 2019 as it “tired of fighting with algorithms” but returned to the platforms later that year. Again, it joined with other big advertisers to boycott Meta’s Instagram and Facebook in 2020 to return only a few months after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers.
The CEO of the company has ensured that he does not act like a ‘PR stunt’ and it was done for ‘genuine reasons’. He also said that he would become a “laughing stock” if the company reversed the decision this time.
,