Topline
Facebook on Sunday shared more details about its internal research into Instagram’s impact on teenage girls as the social media giant attempts to pushback against a Wall Street Journal investigation which cited a leaked version of the report which showed evidence that the popular photo-sharing platform played a role in worsening body image issues.
Two weeks ago the Wall Street Journal had cited an internal Facebook report which found that ... [+]
Key Facts
In a blog post on Sunday, Facebook VP and Head of Research Pratiti Raychoudhury dismissed the Wall Street Journal’s assessment of internal research as “not accurate” as she pushed back against claims that Instagram was “toxic” teenage girls.
Raychoudhury claimed that the company had heard from many teens that using the image-sharing platform helps them when they “are struggling with the kinds of hard moments and issues teenagers have always faced.”
She then added that the majority of teenage girls who experienced body image issues “still reported Instagram either made it better or had no impact.”
Raychoudhury also noted that the internal research cited by WSJ had limitations as it relied on input from only 40 teenagers and was designed to focus on the most negative perceptions of Instagram.
Despite the statement, Facebook has not released all the data from the research or the March 2020 presentation slide deck which were cited by WSJ’s reporting.
Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone tweeted that the slides have been shared with Congress in advance of the hearing this week and the company was “ evaluating how we can release it to the public at some point.”
Crucial Quote
Regarding the internal presentation slide titled “We make body image worse for 1 in 3 teenage girls,” Raychoudhury said: “While the headline in the internal slide does not explicitly state it, the research shows one in three of those teenage girls who told us they were experiencing body image issues reported that using Instagram made them feel worse — not one in three of all teenage girls.”
Chief Critic
Several critics have called out Facebook for not releasing the full internal report in question. New York Times journalist Ryan Mac also noted on Twitter: “The blog post is also fundamentally in conflict over the research. Facebook says that actually, the research shows that 11/12 metrics showed that Instagram was good for teens. But later down it suggests the results are unreliable. Well... which is it?”
Key Background
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal published an investigative report citing internal studies at Facebook which found that its photo-sharing platform Instagram was having some harmful effects on among a significant portion of its millions of young users—particularly teenage girls. The report highlighted published slides from presentations that highlighted findings from what researchers called a “teen mental health deep dive.” The findings reportedly suggest that Instagram worsened body image issues among one in three teenage girls and found that teens blamed the social media platform for “increases in the rate of anxiety and depression.”
What To Watch For
On Thursday, Facebook’s global head of safety Antigone Davis is expected to appear before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee to respond to the findings made in the WSJ story. The hearing is part of an investigation initiated by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) following the publication of the story. The lawmakers said at the time: “It is clear that Facebook is incapable of holding itself accountable. The Wall Street Journal’s reporting reveals Facebook’s leadership to be focused on a growth-at-all-costs mindset that valued profits over the health and lives of children and teens.”
Further Reading
Facebook says Instagram is not ‘toxic for teens,’ despite damning WSJ report (The Verge)
Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show (Wall Street Journal)
