Body image, social comparison and appearance from the perspective of digital vulnerability: : an analysis of Facebook Papers

Abstract

Facebook Papers refers to an investigative project, conducted by a consortium of seventeen US media outlets, that had access to thousands of internal Facebook documents the set of documents was leaked by a former employee and whistleblower. This article aims to understand the research that was conducted internally by Facebook teams focusing on Body image and appearance on Instagram. The methodology employed combines bibliographic and documentary research, with descriptive analysis of research reports on Body Image, appearance, and social comparison promoted by the research teams of the company Facebook and released internally between the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. The documents were made available in 2021 by The Wall Street Journal. Thus, this paper describes i) the methodologies employed and the research findings; ii) what suggestions were made for improvement in the safety and wellbeing of individuals on Instagram.