The Morning: An Instagram investigation

Plus, Alabama's I.V.F. ruling, Boy Scouts and voice notes

View in browser|nytimes.com February 23, 2024 SUPPORTED BY APPLE CARD By David Leonhardt Good morning. We're covering a new Times investigation into Instagram — as well as Alabama's I.V.F. ruling, Boy Scouts and voice notes. Natalie Keyssar for The New York Times A door to abuse The evidence that smartphones damage children's mental health has continued to grow in recent years. Feelings of loneliness and sadness began rising more than a decade ago, around the same time that smartphones and then social media became ubiquitous. The amount of time that teenagers spend socializing in person has declined on the same timeline. So has the number of hours they sleep. Academic research points in a similar direction. Many studies have found a correlation between the amount of time that teens — especially girls — spend on smartphones and the likelihood that they will be depressed or have low self-esteem. One study last year found a striking relationship between the age at which somebody first owned a smartphone and that person's mental health as a young adult: Among people ages 18 to 24, based on the age they first owned a smartphone. Source: Sapien Labs | By The New York Times There is still much that researchers don't understand about digital technology, and some smartphone use is clearly necessary and healthy. But the notion that smartphones are beneficial or harmless to mental health on the whole — an argument that technology executives sometimes make — looks much weaker than it once did. Two of my colleagues, Jennifer Valentino-DeVries and Michael H. Keller, have published a new investigation into an extreme example of the problems that social media can cause for children. Their article examines Instagram accounts that parents operate for their young daughters, often in the hope of turning the girls into influencers or models. Many of these accounts have attracted a following from men who acknowledge on other platforms that they are sexually attracted to children. As Jennifer and Michael write: Thousands of accounts examined by The Times offer disturbing insights into how social media is reshaping childhood, especially for girls, with direct parental encouragement and involvement. Some parents are the driving force behind the sale of photos, exclusive chat sessions and even the girls' worn leotards and cheer outfits to mostly unknown followers. The most devoted customers spend thousands of dollars nurturing the underage relationships. … Interacting with the men opens the door to abuse. Some flatter, bully and blackmail girls and their parents to get racier and racier images. The Times monitored separate exchanges on Telegram, the messaging app, where men openly fantasize about sexually abusing the children they follow on Instagram and extol the platform for making the images so readily available. Obviously, many parents post photos of their young children in harmless ways — so that family and friends can stay updated. But Jennifer and Michael's article avoided focusing on these instances by examining only accounts that had at least 500 followers and posted multiple images of children in form-fitting or revealing attire. Takeaways Among the article's key points: Some children charge monthly subscriptions to their images and earn six-figure incomes. "With the wisdom and knowledge I have now, if I could go back, I definitely wouldn't do it," one parent said. "I've been stupidly, naïvely, feeding a pack of monsters, and the regret is huge." The Times found men who used children's Instagram pages to satisfy their fantasies and who exchanged information about parents considered receptive to selling "private sets" of images. An internal study at Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, run by Mark Zuckerberg — found that 500,000 child Instagram accounts had "inappropriate" interactions every day, court records show. Meta failed to act even after receiving multiple reports from parents of worrisome behavior. Instead, the company sometimes restricted parents who tried to block many followers. Former Meta employees described the company as overwhelmed by the problem despite having known about it for years. A Meta spokesman disputed the suggestion that the company's safety and security efforts were underfunded, saying that 40,000 employees worked on them. He also said that Meta reported more suspected child abuse imagery to the authorities each year than any other company. "The Bible says, 'The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous,'" said the owner of a small clothing company who features young influencers in his online marketing. "So sometimes you got to use the things of this world to get you to where you need to be, as long as it's not harming anybody." You can read the investigation here. Continue reading the main story A MESSAGE FROM APPLE CARD Spend. Earn. See how it adds up. Every Apple Card purchase earns you real cash on every purchase — up to 3%. Terms apply. Apply now. THE LATEST NEWS Alabama I.V.F. Ruling Medications for I.V.F. treatments. Wes Frazer for The New York Times A second Alabama health provider halted I.V.F. after the state's Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children. Democrats criticized the Alabama ruling. Vice President Kamala Harris accused its proponents of blocking "the right to start a family." Even among anti-abortion politicians, opposition to I.V.F. is unusual. "I.V.F. allowed me, as it has so many others, to start my family," said Representative Michelle Steel, a Republican who sponsored a national abortion ban in Congress. Alabama's chief justice invoked God in the ruling, writing that "human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God." Patients sue clinics for errors that destroy embryos, like faulty freezers. Alabama's ruling raises the stakes of those errors. Politics The Boy Scouts settlement involves more than 82,000 claims. Mary Altaffer/Associated Press The Supreme Court allowed a $2.4 billion plan to settle sex abuse lawsuits against the Boy Scouts of America to go forward. Pro-Trump internet trolls are attacking Nikki Haley in sexist and racist ways, using artificial intelligence to manipulate her likeness and depicting her as Shiva, the Hindu goddess of destruction. State Republican parties in Arizona, Michigan and other swing states are struggling with dysfunction and debt. Most Democrats oppose teaching elementary school students about gender identity, polls found, though most do support teaching it and other L.G.B.T.Q. topics in high school. Business Nvidia headquarters. Ann Wang/Reuters Nvidia's stock price rose after the company reported strong earnings. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones indexes both closed at new highs. An hourslong AT&T outage interrupted cellular and internet service in the U.S. Vice Media's new owners plan to lay off hundreds of employees, including in its digital publishing division. Russia and Ukraine Lyudmila Navalnaya, Aleksei Navalny's mother, and Alexei Tsvetkov, his lawyer. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters Russian officials say that the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny died of natural causes. But they refuse to release his remains unless he's given a "secret funeral," his mother said. President Biden met with Navalny's widow and daughter. He also criticized Donald Trump for likening Navalny's death to his legal troubles. Biden called Vladimir Putin a "crazy S.O.B." during a California fund-raiser. The Kremlin called Biden a "cowboy." Read how Putin has embraced his strongman persona. Brain injuries in Ukraine are less visible than other injuries, but a photographer spent time inside hospitals that treat them. See his images. More International News U.S. officials investigated claims that allies of Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, met with and took millions of dollars from drug cartels. López Obrador said the allegations were false and disclosed a Times reporter's cellphone number on national television. Israeli, Qatari, U.S. and Egyptian officials will meet in Paris today to discuss a deal for a cease-fire and the release of hostages in Gaza. China uses a network of contractors to help hack computer systems in other countries, but economic problems and corruption are making those contractors vulnerable. Other Big Stories Odysseus over the moon. Intuitive Machines, via Associated Press Odysseus has landed: A spacecraft made by a Houston-based company touched down safely on the moon, becoming the first new American lander there in more than 50 years. New York's attorney general called for stronger warnings about Singulair, an asthma medication that can cause suicidal thoughts, especially in children. (A Times story last month detailed the side effects.) Weather-related disasters forced more than two million people in the U.S. from their homes last year, census data shows. A Texas judge ruled that a school dress code used to punish a Black student for refusing to change his hairstyle did not violate state law. Opinions A paradox is stopping us from reaching our climate goals: As energy becomes more affordable, people tend to use even more, Ed Conway writes. Paul Krugman joined the Matter of Opinion podcast to answer the question: Why does the economy look so good to economists but feel so bad to voters? Here are columns by Krugman and David Brooks on Bidenomics. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Francesca Arena Leap-day love: For couples who aren't big on anniversaries, a wedding on Feb. 29 is an attractive proposition. Rise and fall: Louise Blouin rose to the top tiers of society and made her name as an art-world mogul. This month she was in bankruptcy court. Voices in the blue: Unusual experiments suggest how baleen whales sing. Lives Lived: Hydeia Broadbent, born with H.I.V., was 6 years old when she began talking on television about her struggle with the virus, aiming to educate the public. She died at 39. SPORTS Revealing: There is growing discontent in the M.L.B. over this season's uniforms, especially the pants — some of which look see-through. New York Mets: Kodai Senga will miss the start of the season with a shoulder strain. N.F.L.: The Kansas City Chiefs signed the punter Matt Araiza, who has not played in the league since a 2022 lawsuit accused him of sexual assault. No charges were filed. Childhood team: A billionaire bought a chunk of Manchester United. Now he has to fix it. Soccer: Dani Alves, once a star at Barcelona and on the Brazilian national team, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for sexual assault. Continue reading the main story A MESSAGE FROM APPLE CARD Spend. Earn. See how it adds up. Every Apple Card purchase earns you real cash on every purchase — up to 3%. Terms apply. Apply now. ARTS AND IDEAS Kyle Victory A private podcast: Voice notes are becoming a common way to talk with friends, especially among young people. They're also deeply divisive. "If I have to listen to one longer than a minute, I get distracted and stop taking it in," said Iris Meines, 29, who added that she often took notes while listening to keep track. Elaine Swann, an etiquette expert, said voice notes should be used only in cases where "tone is necessary, but a conversation is not," like an apology. "Exercise self-control," she said. "Don't barge into someone's life with a long-winded voice note." More on culture Wesley Morris reviews "This is Me … Now: A Love Story," Jennifer Lopez's strange movie based on her latest album. Romeo Gigli, the minimalist '90s fashion designer, is planning his next act in Marrakesh. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Kelly Marshall for The New York Times Roast cauliflower and a whole head of garlic to make a near-magical three-ingredient soup. Watch four great documentaries about the war in Ukraine. Store your bike neatly indoors. Drink a refreshing hard seltzer. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was abundance. Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. And here's a new feature from the Games team: The Puzzle Personality Quiz, which asks 10 questions to find your puzzle personality and then matches you with games you might enjoy. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. 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