Social Media Giants Accused of Putting Young Lives at Risk as Study Reveals Harmful Content Is Still Rampant on Platforms

Strategic Insights -

A damning study by the Molly Rose Foundation, set up in memory of Ian Russell's daughter who took her own life after being exposed to online harm, has found that TikTok and Instagram are actively putting young lives at risk with their algorithms promoting content about depression, suicide, and self-harm. The research, which analyzed posts recommended to 15-year-old users, found that 97% of Instagram Reels and 96% of TikTok videos were harmful, with 55% of TikTok's For You Page containing references to suicide and self-harm ideation.

Key Takeaways:

  • A study by the Molly Rose Foundation found that 97% of Instagram Reels and 96% of TikTok videos recommended to 15-year-old users were harmful.
  • 55% of TikTok's For You Page contained references to suicide and self-harm ideation, with 16% referencing suicide methods.
  • One in ten harmful videos on TikTok's For You Page had been liked at least a million times, and one in five Instagram Reels had been liked over 250,000 times.
  • The research suggests that social media companies are prioritizing engagement over user safety, leading to a "tsunami of harmful content" being presented to vulnerable users.
  • Ian Russell, a campaigner and father of a teenager who took her own life, is calling for stronger online safety laws, including a requirement for social media companies to prioritize user safety over engagement.
  • The Molly Rose Foundation report found that the scale of harm has not been properly addressed, with harm on TikTok actively getting worse over the past two years.
  • A separate report by Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza found that the proportion of children seeing pornography online has risen in the past two years, with 58% of those surveyed saying they had seen pornography involving strangulation and 44% depicting rape.

Statistics:

  • 97% of Instagram Reels recommended to 15-year-old users were found to be harmful.
  • 96% of TikTok videos recommended to 15-year-old users were found to be harmful.
  • 55% of TikTok's For You Page contained references to suicide and self-harm ideation.
  • 16% of TikTok's For You Page referenced suicide methods.
  • One in ten harmful videos on TikTok's For You Page had been liked at least a million times.
  • One in five Instagram Reels had been liked over 250,000 times.
  • 58% of children surveyed reported seeing pornography involving strangulation.
  • 44% of children surveyed reported seeing pornography depicting rape.

Sources:

  • "Molly Rose Foundation report" (no date mentioned in the original text)
  • "Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza report" (no date mentioned in the original text)