Internal Meta Study Finds Instagram Shows More “Eating Disorder-Adjacent” Content to Vulnerable Teens
An internal Meta study reviewed by Reuters has revealed that teenagers who report feeling bad about their bodies after using Instagram are shown significantly more “eating disorder-adjacent” content than their peers. The internal document, marked “Do not distribute,” highlights serious concerns about how Instagram’s recommendation system interacts with vulnerable teens.
Meta researchers surveyed 1,149 teenagers throughout the 2023–2024 school year and analyzed the posts appearing in their feeds. Among the 223 teens who said Instagram regularly made them feel worse about their bodies, 10.5% of their feed contained body-focused or disordered-eating-related content — three times higher than the 3.3% seen by other teens. The flagged posts prominently displayed body parts, expressed judgment about physical appearance, or included material associated with negative body image.
Researchers also found that these same teens encountered more “mature” and “provocative” content overall — material involving risk-taking, suffering, and cruelty — which made up 27% of their feed compared to 13.6% for others. While the study could not prove Instagram directly worsens self-esteem, the correlation raised alarms among Meta’s internal experts.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the findings show the company’s commitment to making platforms safer for young people. However, the report revealed that Meta’s moderation tools failed to detect 98.5% of sensitive content potentially inappropriate for teens. Pediatric experts like Jenny Radesky from the University of Michigan called the results “deeply disturbing,” warning that Instagram’s algorithm may be “profiling vulnerable teens and feeding them more harmful content.”
The findings come as Meta faces ongoing lawsuits and investigations in the United States over its alleged failure to protect minors and the mental health risks tied to Instagram’s design.
