Meta’s Research Reveals Instagram Fails to Protect Vulnerable Teens

Internal research conducted by Meta has uncovered alarming findings regarding the impact of Instagram on teenagers’ mental health. According to documents reviewed by Reuters, adolescents who frequently reported negative feelings about their bodies encountered nearly three times more content related to eating disorders compared to their peers. The study surveyed 1,149 teenagers during the 2023-2024 academic year and highlighted how vulnerable users are disproportionately exposed to harmful material.

The research revealed that teens struggling with body image issues saw body-focused content comprising 10.5% of their Instagram feeds, in stark contrast to just 3.3% for other teenagers. Among the 223 participants who often felt bad after using the platform, researchers noted they were confronted with significantly more posts displaying body parts prominently, explicit judgments about body types, and content related to disordered eating.

Inadequate Safety Systems Identified

Perhaps the most concerning aspect of Meta’s findings is the effectiveness of its existing safety systems. The study indicated that the company’s algorithms failed to detect 98.5% of potentially harmful content for teens. Researchers expressed that this outcome was not entirely unexpected, given that Meta has only recently begun enhancing its algorithms to identify such content.

Additionally, vulnerable teenagers reported encountering a higher volume of provocative material overall. The study found that 27% of their feeds contained content classified by Meta as featuring “mature themes,” “risky behavior,” “harm & cruelty,” and “suffering.” This was significantly higher than the 13.6% for their peers.

Dr. Jenny Radesky, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan, reviewed the unpublished research. She described the study’s methodology as robust and its findings as troubling. “This supports the idea that teens with psychological vulnerabilities are being profiled by Instagram and fed more harmful content,” she stated. “We know that a lot of what people consume on social media comes from the feed, not from search.”

New Safety Measures Implemented

In light of these findings, Meta announced new safety measures earlier this month, implementing PG-13 content standards for all teen accounts on Instagram. Starting this week, teenagers will automatically face restrictions on viewing content that aligns with movie industry PG-13 ratings, with only parents able to adjust these settings.

Under the new guidelines, teenagers will be blocked from viewing posts that contain strong language, dangerous stunts, or content that may promote risky behavior, such as drug use. Furthermore, the platform will prevent teens from following accounts that frequently share age-inappropriate content.

A spokesperson for Meta, Andy Stone, noted that the company has successfully reduced the amount of age-restricted content shown to teenage users by half since July 2025. “This research is further proof we remain committed to understanding young people’s experiences and using those insights to build safer, more supportive platforms for teens,” he stated.

The findings from this internal study, which was marked “Do not distribute internally or externally without permission,” contribute to a growing body of evidence regarding Instagram’s impact on adolescent mental health. Meta is currently facing ongoing federal and state investigations concerning Instagram’s effects on children, as well as civil lawsuits from various school districts alleging harmful product design and deceptive marketing practices.

As scrutiny continues, the platform’s ability to protect vulnerable users remains a significant concern, underscoring the need for effective measures to ensure the safety and well-being of young people online.