Instagram’s PG-13 Lie: What Meta’s Own Research Says About Teen Mental Health

Meta's internal research proved Instagram harms teen mental health. Whistleblowers testified they suppressed the evidence. 42 states sued over addictive design. Now Instagram announces PG-13 ratings—while changing none of the features their own research identified as harmful.

- 2021: Frances Haugen leaks Meta internal research: "We make body image issues worse for 1 in 3 teen girls"

- Meta's research showed the problem was NOT content ratings but comparison mechanics, infinite scroll, algorithmic feeds, and validation systems

- September 2025: Four whistleblowers testify Meta systematically suppressed research, used vague language, and destroyed evidence about child solicitation

- October 2023: 42 state attorneys general sue Meta for designing Instagram to addict children and deliberately misleading the public

- 2025: Instagram announces content filtering—the only change that doesn't reduce engagement or revenue

When a platform's revenue depends on maximizing user engagement, safety features that reduce engagement become business threats. Content filtering is the only change Instagram can make that doesn't impact their core business model—which is why it's the only change they're making, despite their own research showing it doesn't address the architectural features causing harm.