Instagram and Teen Mental Health: What the Internal Research Actually Showed

Meta's own researchers wrote that Instagram makes body image worse for one in three teen girls. Here is what the documents say - and how they are being used in court.

When the Wall Street Journal published the Facebook Files in September 2021, the most quoted line came from a 2019 internal slide deck: 'We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls.' That sentence, written by Meta's own researchers, has become central evidence in lawsuits filed by adults who used Instagram as minors.

What Meta's researchers documented

Between 2019 and 2021, internal teams at Meta ran qualitative interviews, surveys, and longitudinal diary studies with thousands of teen Instagram users. Slides from those studies, later released by whistleblower Frances Haugen and unsealed in litigation, describe consistent findings.

• 32% of teen girls said Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies
• Teens blamed Instagram for increases in anxiety and depression - unprompted and across all groups studied
• Among teens who reported suicidal thoughts, 13% of British and 6% of American users traced the desire to Instagram
• Comparison with influencer and celebrity content was identified as the primary harm vector
• The Explore page surfaced appearance-focused content even to users who had not searched for it

The 2023 state attorney general complaint

In October 2023, 33 state attorneys general sued Meta in federal court, with another nine states filing parallel actions. The complaint alleges Meta deliberately designed Instagram and Facebook features to addict young users and then misrepresented the safety of its products to the public and to Congress.

Notably, the complaint quotes internal Meta communications discussing the value of teen users in dollar terms, debating whether to disclose harm research, and overruling product safety teams who proposed protective changes.

Why the documents matter for individual claims

In product liability law, a plaintiff usually has to show the manufacturer knew about a foreseeable risk and failed to act reasonably. The unsealed Meta research is being used to establish exactly that: knowledge of harm to minors, plus internal decisions to prioritize engagement metrics over safety changes.

“We have evidence from a variety of sources that hate speech, divisive political speech, and misinformation on Facebook and the family of apps are affecting societies around the world.”

What this means if you used Instagram as a teen

If you developed depression, an eating disorder, anxiety, or self-harm behaviors during your teen years and you were a regular Instagram user during that time, your experience may align with the patterns Meta itself documented. A free intake screening can determine whether your records support a claim.