Can Instagram Stop the Exodus of Young Users: Internal Documents Reveal the "Teen Reclamation" — What Did Instagram Prioritize Over "Safety"?

1) "Teens First" — Internal Memo Reveals Instagram's Priorities

The report dated December 26, 2025, highlighted Meta's (formerly Facebook) Instagram's focus on "recapturing teens" as a crucial strategy. This came shortly after several U.S. state attorneys filed lawsuits claiming the platform was designed to be addictive to young users, compromising their safety. An internal memo from Instagram head Adam Mosseri reportedly outlined the 2024 priorities as "(1) Teens in developed countries (2) Threads, in that order." The Washington Post

This "order" symbolizes the reality that for Meta, teens are not just another user demographic but the "entry point for lifelong customers," forming the future foundation for advertising, payments, and community. Internal documents not only aimed to halt the decline in teen users but also set long-term goals to become more favored than TikTok by 2026 and the "world's largest teen platform" by 2027. The Washington Post

2) Why Teens Drifted Away: Hard to Find Friends, Trends Arrive Late

Internal documents reveal that Instagram had analyzed the "teen drift" quite specifically. It was reported that new teen registrations had dropped by 20-30% as of 2023, with daily and monthly teen usage also declining in developed markets. Challenges included many teens not following anyone on their first day and the platform lagging behind competitors in supplying trending content. In short, even if teens download the app, they don't immediately find "friends" or "content they want to see," making it difficult for them to stay engaged. The Washington Post

The core strategy to address these issues focused on

• Ease of finding friends (initial follow guidance and recommendation accuracy)

• Activating DMs and sharing (creating a "watching together" feeling)

• Speed of spreading creator posts (immediacy of trends)

• Marketing investment (redefining as a "place where friendships deepen")
  These were part of the redesign of the "social experience." Particularly, the idea of enhancing the ability to make friends early on was a strong predictor of retention, reflecting a product company's mindset. The Washington Post

3) "Teen Empathy Museum" Within the Company — When Youth Culture Became a "Research Subject"

A memorable aspect of the report was the "exhibit" set up within Meta. A "living museum" was created for employees to understand teen life and culture, featuring photos of teen hangouts and guides on "teen-like selfies." There was even an internal project where employees rolled dice to decide their selfie style. The Washington Post

This highlights the unsettling aspect of platforms meticulously analyzing user psychology and translating it into UI and algorithms, especially when targeting the sensitive demographic of teens. Whether it's for genuine understanding or profit-driven exploitation, the boundary is hard to discern from the outside.

4) Is the Strengthening of Safety Measures "Genuine" or a "Defensive Wall"? PG-13, Warning Labels, and Distrust

Meanwhile, Meta has been emphasizing safety features in response to growing criticism. The report states that Meta claims these efforts do not contradict their safety initiatives, explaining that teen protection features (Teen Accounts) were revamped with a "PG-13 movie rating" concept. The Washington Post

In October 2025, it was reported that accounts for 13-17-year-olds would be based on PG-13 content, among other restrictions. The Washington Post

However, there remains strong criticism that "harmful posts still slip through" and "there's insufficient data to verify effectiveness." External investigations and media checks have pointed out that extreme or inappropriate posts can still appear even with teen settings. The Washington Post

A symbolic backlash arose over the handling of "PG-13." The entity responsible for movie ratings argued against using the same concept, and on social media, the notion that "movies and algorithmic recommendations are different" spread widely. The Washington Post

5) Social Media Reactions: Anger, Disbelief, and a Calm Marketing Perspective Emerge Simultaneously

Reactions on social media to the report were notably divided into three main tones.

(A) Strong Opposition to "Growth Over Safety"
On medical community social networks, posts expressed concern over the internal document's goal of becoming the "world's largest teen platform." The central issue raised was whether the design justifies compromising children's mental health. Mastodon hosted on med-mastodon.com

(B) Cynicism and Nihilism Toward "Researching Youth Culture"
On another social network, there were critical views that Meta prioritizes capturing young people's "attention" above all else. Phrases like "wasting young people's time with FOMO (fear of missing out) and addictive loops" resonated with those affected by the article. Bluesky Social

(C) "It's Only Natural in Competition" — A Calm Product/Marketing Perspective
Meanwhile, a former Instagram marketing staffer noted that "features have been rolled out to match competitors," emphasizing "competitive rationality" within the industry. The explanation was that just as with Stories and Reels, products follow where young people migrate. The Washington Post

These three perspectives flowing simultaneously is characteristic of today's social media. The sentiment of "understanding the corporate logic, but don't do it to kids" and the distrust in "regulations and safety measures being untrustworthy" are connected by a single thread.

6) So, What Will Be the "Next Point of Contention"?

The internal document report highlighted the reality that "teen safety" and "teen acquisition" can become KPIs within the same organization simultaneously. Moreover, platforms are "complex systems" where algorithmic recommendations, DMs, creator economy, and advertising intertwine, and any adjustment can have side effects.

There are likely three future points of contention.

1. Third-party verification of effectiveness: Can the extent to which teen restrictions function be demonstrated in a reproducible manner by external parties? The Washington Post

2. Design of age estimation/verification: Self-reported age and estimation technology have limitations, making them a likely focus for regulatory strengthening. The Washington Post

3. Limits of "rating": Static works like movies and the endless flow of UGC + recommendations are different. If the PG-13 analogy doesn't hold, a different explanation responsibility will be necessary. The Washington Post

The reason Instagram wants to recapture teens is clear. However, whether the method will restore a "place for friends" or refine a "device for monetizing attention" will lead to opposite societal evaluations. The internal document visualized precisely that crossroads. The Washington Post