Mothers of teenagers with eating disorders have accused Instagram of promoting harmful content, following the leak of internal research by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. The documents, published last week, revealed that the platform's own studies found it drives some teenage girls into a 'downward spiral' over body image.
One mother from Arizona, who asked to be identified only as Michelle, said her two daughters fell into pro-diet and pro-eating-disorder hashtags during lockdown. Both began restricting their food intake, and her eldest developed 'severe anorexia', nearly requiring hospitalisation. 'It helps to trigger them and keeps teens trapped in this completely toxic culture,' she said.
Neveen Radwan from the San Francisco Bay Area said social media played a 'humongous role' in her 17-year-old daughter's eating disorder. The teen was bombarded with filtered and manipulated images of influencers and friends. At one point she weighed just 74lb and her heart stopped, requiring an airlift to a specialist facility.
Internal research shared with the Wall Street Journal found that 32% of teenage girls said Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies. Facebook has disputed the characterisation, stating that its research 'demonstrated that many teens feel that using Instagram helps them when they are struggling'. The company announced it would pause its Instagram Kids project and introduce features to encourage breaks and nudge users away from harmful content.
Parents expressed fury that Facebook had known about the risks. 'They are responsible for triggering serious eating disorders in many individuals,' Michelle said. 'And after what we learned this week, it is evident they don’t care as long as they’re making money.' Radwan has installed safeguards on her daughter's phone but says regulation of social media remains difficult.
