Facebook researchers reportedly found Instagram is 'harmful' for a 'sizable percentage' of young users


Leaked documents suggest Facebook is aware that Instagram is harmful for many young users, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.
The Journal reported Monday that Facebook has in recent years conducted studies into the way the photo sharing app Instagram affects young users, and researchers "found that Instagram is harmful for a sizable percentage of them, most notably teenage girls." The report cites a 2019 internal slide summarizing the research, which states, "We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls."
Another slide reportedly said that "teens blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression," and a presentation laid out how research found 13 percent of British users and six percent of American users who experienced suicidal thoughts said they traced these thoughts to Instagram. The researchers reportedly concluded that some of these issues are specific to Instagram because "social comparison is worse" on the platform. The Journal published another major Facebook story on Monday indicating that the platform has a "secret elite" of users who are routinely allowed to violate its policies without consequences.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In an interview with the Journal, Instagram head Adam Mosseri suggested the "issues mentioned in this story aren't necessarily widespread" but that the "impact on people may be huge." He added that the leaked research "isn't dirty laundry" and that "I'm actually very proud" of it. Facebook has previously faced criticism after revealing plans to launch a version of Instagram for kids.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who previously called on Facebook to release its research on the effect of its products on young people, argued the company is "taking a page from the textbook of Big Tobacco — targeting teens with potentially dangerous products while masking the science in public." Read more at The Wall Street Journal.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Critics' choice: Three takes on tavern dining
Feature A second Minetta Tavern, A 1946 dining experience, and a menu with a mission
By The Week US
-
Film reviews: Warfare and A Minecraft Movie
Feature A combat film that puts us in the thick of it and five misfits fall into a cubic-world adventure
By The Week US
-
What to know before lending money to family or friends
the explainer Ensure both your relationship and your finances remain intact
By Becca Stanek, The Week US
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influence
Speed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
RFK Jr. offers alternative remedies as measles spreads
Speed Read Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes unsupported claims about containing the spread as vaccine skepticism grows
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Texas outbreak brings 1st US measles death since 2015
Speed read The outbreak is concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community in rural Gaines County
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Mystery illness spreading in Congo rapidly kills dozens
Speed Read The World Health Organization said 53 people have died in an outbreak that originated in a village where three children ate a bat carcass
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
New form of H5N1 bird flu found in US dairy cows
Speed Read This new form of bird flu is different from the version that spread through herds in the last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US