Social Media Pushing Negative Body Images on Celiacs Seeking Gluten-Free Food

Celiac.com 12/28/2021 - Social media algorithms are pushing potentially inappropriate content featuring thin bodies on people with celiac disease who are just searching for gluten-free food as a way to stay healthy, not to lose weight.

This is just one scenario among many, in which social media companies are profiting by pushing potentially harmful content toward users making innocent searches for unrelated material. In the above scenario, the content topics quickly move from general weight loss and thinness to sites and content that glorifies eating disorders.

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If this seems scary in its implications, it is. If it seems rare, it is not. The scenario is drawn directly from the experience and documentation presented by former Facebook product manager, Frances Haugen, during her testimony before the Senate Commerce subcommittee in October 2021.

Haugen explained that not only do Instagram’s algorithms routinely push teenagers toward potentially dangerous and unhealthy topics, but Facebook knows this and disregards expert advice to make the platform safer, chiefly due to greed, says Haugen.  “Facebook knows its engagement ranking on Instagram can lead children from very innocuous topics like healthy recipes, to anorexic content over a very short period of time,” Haugen said during her testimony.

As part of her testimony, Haugen handed over internal documents to numerous media outlets. Haugen's documents and testimony strongly support her claims that, during her time at Facebook, she regularly experienced “Facebook choosing to prioritize its profits over people."

Facebook researchers found that more than 2 out of 3 teenage girls and 2 out of 5 of teenage boys confront negative social comparisons on Instagram. Data also shows that more than half of teen girls experience negative social images and messaging about beauty standards, which can trigger negative self esteem and body dysmorphia.

According to Haugen, Facebook understands the importance of drawing young people onto its platforms in order to expand and monetize. “They know that children bring their parents online,” she said.

Have you encountered offensive, or potentially dangerous content related to searches for gluten-free food, or celiac disease? Share your experience in the comments below.

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