As part of its commitment to enhance user safety, Instagram has promised that its Teen Accounts offer a shield against harmful content by default. However, recent tests conducted by a group of Gen Z youths and myself—a concerned father—have revealed significant shortcomings in these protections. This article delves into the findings and highlights the need for greater accountability in social media.
This spring, high school senior Saheb Gulati created a test Instagram account representing a hypothetical 16-year-old boy using a burner phone. With the launch of Teen Accounts, Instagram aimed to automatically filter out “sensitive” content for users under 18, promoting mental health and safety. Over a two-week period, Gulati reported receiving a disturbing amount of recommended sexual content, including explicit Instagram Reels that left little to the imagination. He documented at least 28 instances of inappropriate content, including discussions surrounding “toxic masculinity” and graphic sexual acts.
Gulati was not alone in his findings. Four additional testers from a youth organization called Design It For Us conducted a similar experiment and also encountered recommended sexual content. Furthermore, four out of the five testers were exposed to body image issues and disordered eating content. They reported seeing videos that promoted unhealthy lifestyles, such as a woman claiming, “skinny is a lifestyle, not a phase.” Disturbingly, the group also encountered content related to alcohol, drugs, and hate speech, which is detailed in a report published by Accountable Tech.
One of the critical concerns is the recommendation algorithm used by Instagram, which plays a significant role in determining what content users, especially teens, are exposed to. The algorithm was found to lead users down dark paths, presenting content that promotes unhealthy behaviors and attitudes. This raises serious questions about the reliability of Instagram’s Teen Accounts in protecting children from harmful material.
In response to the report, Meta, Instagram’s parent company, claimed that the youth testers exhibited bias and stated that some flagged content was “unobjectionable” or reflective of “humor from a PG-13 film.” Meta spokesperson Liza Crenshaw argued that even if the report were accurate, only 61 pieces of flagged content represented less than 0.3% of all content viewed during the tests. However, the testers acknowledged limitations in their experiment, including a small sample size and short testing period.
To further investigate, I conducted my own tests with a simulated teen account, and the results were even more alarming. Within just 10 minutes, the account recommended a video featuring a man who passed out from excessive drinking and another showcasing a product associated with cocaine. Over time, recommendations spiraled into a fixation on alcohol and nicotine products, suggesting a severe failure in Instagram's content moderation.
According to Gulati, teens are not naive about issues like sex, drugs, and eating disorders. However, the persistent exposure to these topics on Instagram, chosen by the algorithm, can shape their perceptions of what is acceptable. He expressed that despite some features of Teen Accounts functioning as promised, the overall experience of protection remains unfulfilled.
The primary goal of the Gen Z testing initiative was to assess whether Teen Accounts lived up to their claims. Alison Rice, campaigns director at Accountable Tech, emphasized the importance of obtaining feedback directly from users who interact with the platform daily. The testers, aged 18 to 22, reported mixed results; while some protective features worked—such as default privacy settings and restrictions on direct messaging—many still encountered inappropriate content that violated Meta’s own guidelines for sensitive material.
Social media platforms like Instagram have faced mounting scrutiny over their impact on young users. The ongoing debate centers on the responsibility of parents, tech companies, and the youths themselves. In 2023, multiple states filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming that Instagram and Facebook pose addiction risks to children. Furthermore, the U.S. Surgeon General recommended labeling social media platforms similarly to tobacco products due to their potential harms.
Despite Meta’s assertions that Teen Accounts are effective, they have not provided substantial evidence to support these claims. As Accountable Tech advocates for legal accountability through age-appropriate design laws, it’s clear that voluntary measures like Teen Accounts are not enough. Gulati suggests that young users must remain vigilant about the content they engage with and understand the influence of algorithms on their feeds.
In conclusion, while Instagram aims to create a safer environment for teens through its Teen Accounts, the reality paints a different picture. The findings from this experiment highlight the urgent need for better protections and more responsible content moderation to ensure that young users are genuinely shielded from harmful material.
