Meta, the company behind Instagram, recently studied how its platform affects teenagers’ body image. An internal report, reviewed and reported by Reuters, shows that teens who often felt bad about their bodies saw more posts related to eating disorders than other teens. These posts included images focusing on certain body parts, negative comments on body types, and content about dieting or disordered eating.
While the research does not prove Instagram causes harm, it highlights a link between negative body feelings and the type of content teens encounter on the platform.
Meta Research Shows Teens See More Harmful Content
Meta surveyed 1,149 teens during the 2023-24 school year, asking about their feelings toward their bodies after using Instagram.
Researchers then analysed the posts these teens saw over three months. The study found that 223 teens who often felt bad about their bodies were exposed to “eating disorder-adjacent content” in 10.5% of their feeds, compared to just 3.3% for other teens.
Teens with negative feelings also saw more mature, risky, or harmful content overall, accounting for 27% of their feed versus 13.6% for peers.
The research highlighted that even content not directly breaking Instagram rules could still affect teen well-being and mental health.
Instagram Faces Pressure To Limit Harmful Content
Meta’s researchers noted that teens seeing harmful content might be seeking it out themselves, so no direct cause-and-effect link was proven.
Still, the study revealed that Instagram exposes teens reporting body dissatisfaction to a lot of sensitive material, prompting warnings within Meta.
The company said it is working to show age-appropriate content, reduce harmful posts for teenagers, and use PG-13 standards.
Experts say the findings are concerning because teens with vulnerabilities may be targeted with content that could worsen their self-image and mental health.
Parents and educators are also urged to guide teens on healthy online use, monitor exposure, and have open conversations about body image.
