Secret Company Documents Reveal the Not-So-Perfect Side of Instagram

By ALIKA AWAN, CIARA VERNEIGE, and TAMMY CHAN 

Facebook Inc., now renamed Meta Platforms, has come under fire for insider documents that show the company has long known how harmful its social media apps can be for users.

Last year, one of Meta’s former employees, Frances Haugen, leaked files showing that the company was aware of Instagram’s especially negative effect on teens, who make up over 40% of the app’s users. According to the insider data, an alarming one in three teens suffered body image issues because of Instagram. Teen girls were especially at risk.

The app’s head, Adam Mosseri, said that research he saw showed its effects on teen well-being was “likely quite small” back in May, but he never disclosed any statistics. However, the data shown in a September report by The Wall Street Journal, nicknamed the Facebook Files, reveal that in the U.S., over a third of teens feel the need to create the perfect image due to Instagram, and in the U.K., over half. Forty-one percent of U.S. teens feel unattractive, and 42% feel like they don’t have enough money.

Many teens we spoke to say Instagram creates a false set of standards for its users. Thousands of influencers are present on the app, indirectly pressuring adolescents to match their lifestyles. 

Aadi Mckain ‘24 has been using Instagram for four years. He said, “Sometimes it makes me insecure because I might have less followers than a lot of my friends and I feel judged for that.”

A lot of teens get caught up in trying to prove themselves relevant through social media. Sawyer Wizemann ‘23 has been using Instagram since middle school and is on the app for approximately three hours a day. Refreshing her notifications page to see if there were any new “likes” on her most recent post has become part of her daily routine.

“I know for me and others we can get really obsessive over things such as the ‘like’ count on photos of us,” she said. “We can start to think about how this photo didn’t get as many likes as this one, so did I look bad in this one? It all then creates this negative self image, and it’s the same with comments.”

The Facebook Files also show that 20% of teens from the U.S. and U.K. feel lonely or alone from using Instagram.

“It has affected my mental health in a way because I feel more isolated and lonely when I view other people’s stories and see how exciting their lives are,” said Isabella Nguyen ‘24. 

Instagram’s algorithm constantly recommends posts similar to those users have previously looked at. Comments, likes, time spent, and other features all determine what posts show up and how frequently. 

Many of the students we interviewed have noticed that certain body types, lifestyles, and looks are heavily promoted on Instagram, and they are not happy with it.

“Anything that shows women or men who are not the ideal ‘perfect’ body weight usually has a lower number of likes,” said junior Jin Wei Lian. “Also, those posts are not promoted by the algorithm, so in order to see photos of celebrities or influencers who are not skinny, you have to manually search for them. This causes a lot of body dysmorphia and self hate, especially in young girls who feel pressured to look like the ‘standard.’”

“It’s hard to look at yourself compared to them and not hate yourself and your life when they set such unrealistic goals,'' Emily Tsipenyuk ‘23 said. “Some people understand the difference between fake and real, and others get lost in the unrealistic lifestyle and try to work for something unachievable.” 

“The app definitely makes teenage girls lack self confidence due to the comparisons they make when looking at their feed,” said Kate Khazanova ‘24. “It makes my self esteem generally go down, which is why I tend to press the ‘not interested’ button in pictures that show unrealistic beauty standards.” 

“I have encountered influencers that indirectly promote certain body images that have harmed my mental health,” Gabriela Martinez ‘23 said. “As a result, I avoid these influencers. There are also a lot of scammers.” 

“There’s too much judgment,” said Lian. “If you post a photo of yourself, there is always a chance someone is going to call you out and just be mean towards you. The app is toxic. They only promote the same videos about famous influencers using big brands.” 

Alarmingly, 13% of teens from the U.K. and 6% of teens from the U.S. also reported suicidal thoughts because of Instagram.

“That’s incredibly sad,” said sophomore Sterling Weber, “but I think it’s inevitable – people compare themselves to others on social media and can get bullied. Both contribute to suicidal thoughts.” 

“That’s frightening,” Denisha Davis ‘23 said. “I can totally understand, as Instagram is a platform for exposure and cyberbullying. On social media, I feel like no one has any remorse for others, and especially if you have petty drama on the internet, it always follows.”

Despite knowing how Instagram was affecting teens, Facebook was planning to release a new social media app for those under 13 years old before the Wall Street Journal report came out.

“Oh great, a website full of photos of children!” Zelde Monteleone ‘24 said sarcastically, pointing out how tempting a place that would be for predators.

Another worry among the girls we interviewed about a “kid’s Instagram” is that it would have the same negative effect as the original, but for a younger and more vulnerable audience. 

“Kids might start worrying about their body and compare themselves to others and think they need to grow up faster,“ freshman Carmen Liang said. 

Despite how students describe the atmosphere around Instagram, most felt other social media apps have the potential to be equally harmful or even worse; it just depends on the user base. 

“Not going to lie, all of them have the same effects that Instagram has,” Davis said. “It is all part of social media, so the dark humor, the twisted comments, the heartless cyberbullies, they will all continue to spread through any other social outlets.”

Hazelann Holas ‘23 said, “Honestly, Instagram is better than other apps because eventually, you run out of things to scroll through.” 

Zenobia Bholai ‘22 favors YouTube over Instagram because “you can search for what you want and the algorithm usually follows what you search. You’re [more] in control.”

“No matter where you go, there will be that one person who will say mean things to other people,” junior Ella Jones said. “Hurt people will hurt people, so there is always a cycle that we never get away from, no matter where we go.”

With the safety of being behind a screen, many people aren’t afraid to say whatever they want, even though it may not be the nicest thing. In this sense, some students found other apps to be more of a threat than Instagram.

Davis believes that Snapchat is worse because it’s where “plenty of teens post fights and expose videos, and the petty drama is way worse.”

Jones said, “Facebook and Snapchat are at the same level of Insta because they literally have the same thing about adding random people to get friends and get famous and popular just so people can look at you and everything. What I do is only add my friends, or at least people I know.”

Mykhaelia Clarke ‘23 said, “I think that Twitter might be more harmful than Instagram because it doesn’t have guidelines that are as strict, allowing people to post almost anything they want, including hurtful content.”

Mckain believes that TikTok is more harmful than Instagram because, from what he’s seen, a lot of accounts promote eating disorders.

Ria Jagessar ‘23 believes that Twitter and TikTok are more harmful than Instagram. “They’re both unfiltered to the point where harmful messages can be viewed by anyone,” she said.

“I don't think any social media app is better than Instagram,” said sophomore Chloe Liu. “I believe all social media apps to be equally awful.”

However, most students we spoke to stressed that while social media had on some level a negative effect in their lives, it was also important to mention its positive impact as well.

“Overall, I think you don’t have to fully distance yourself from social media if you don't want to,” Ariela Bruk ‘23 said. “I think if you realistically customize your feeds in a way that brings you comfort, happiness, and peace, then it can be really enjoyable.”

On balance, Wizemann said, Instagram has had more of a positive effect on her life than a negative one. “You can gain a sense of connection with people you know,” she said. “It might also benefit businesses or people to provide better outreach to their consumers or audience. It can also help people you don’t talk to much or can’t often see in person still be a part of your life.”

And self esteem runs two ways. “Sometimes I compare myself to other people’s posts, but sometimes people hype me up to the point where I’ll feel confident,” said Christine Liu ‘23.

So what could Instagram do to fix itself?

“Instagram can help by promoting actual facts and people with different body types,” said Lian. “Many young girls need to know that there is no such thing as a perfect body type.”

Perhaps the harmful side of social media is unavoidable, something society will just have to live with in the years going forward. It’s the old principle of keeping everything in moderation.

“Honestly, I don’t think there is a way to avoid the low self esteem this app gives me,” said Wizemann. “The app is the app, and it’s not perfect, but I can’t think of a way it could be. The world isn’t perfect or free of making me feel bad about myself, so neither is social media.”