As thousands of families, school districts, and state attorneys general sue some of the world’s largest technology companies, parents across the country are facing a challenge no previous generation has had to face. Their kids and teenagers are being exploited and becoming addicted to social media platforms, and they don’t know how to keep them safe.
Research shows that social media use increases risks of mental health issues in children. Kids that use platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are experiencing high rates of depression, body image issues, anxiety, sleep disorders, suicidal ideation, and other harmful effects.
So far this year, numerous social media addiction lawsuits have settled and reached substantial verdicts against tech companies. The success of individual and state-led lawsuits indicates there’s enough evidence that platforms are addictive, especially for minors, and are contributing to mental health crises around the U.S.
Then there’s the social media addiction multidistrict litigation (MDL), which has more than 2,800 cases as of June. Bellwether trials – test trials that show how cases play out in court – are set to begin in the coming months, and the outcome will shape settlement negotiations.
For parents, staying up to date on social media lawsuits is a good idea, as they show just how dangerous and harmful these platforms are for children, but more must be done.
Understanding the risks, what makes social media addictive, and the types of rules and structure around their use can help parents keep their kids safe online.
Is it an easy task? Absolutely not. But ignoring what’s happening can have serious consequences.
Is Social Media Addictive?
Social media lawsuits allege that Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Google (YouTube), Snap (Snapchat), and ByteDance (TikTok) intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive. This argument is what legal experts say has led to recent trial and settlement successes – the legal focus is on defective design, not the content.
Tech companies were previously able to avoid liability because of Section 230, which says they can’t be held liable for user-generated content on social media platforms. But the switch to arguing defective design opened a legal avenue that is proving to be effective.
Plaintiffs claim ByteDance, Meta, and others designed platforms like TikTok and Instagram in a way that encourages excessive and compulsive use, particularly among children and teens.
The design features claimed to make social media addictive includes:
Infinite scrolling: There’s no natural stopping points. This leads users to continue to view content without deciding whether to keep using the app.
Algorithm-driven recommendations: Personalized algorithms learn what captures the user’s attention, then continuously recommends similar content to keep them engaged.
Push notifications: Frequent notifications repeatedly create a sense of urgency to reopen apps, even after users stop using them.
Social rewards: Likes, comments, streaks, and other rewards create unpredictable bursts of positive feedback. Researchers say it activates the brain’s reward system, encouraging users to check their phones repeatedly.
Autoplay videos: Content immediately begins playing after watching a video, making it easier to continue watching without making the decision to.
Parents, individuals, school districts, and state attorneys general say these features were designed to maximize time spent on the platforms, leading to addiction. They argue social media companies placed user engagement and advertising revenue ahead of child safety.
Tips to Protect Kids from Social Media Mental Health Effects
The research on the dangers of excessive social media use among children is clear. But many parents are struggling with how to protect their children and teenagers from the serious mental health harm that platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have been linked to.
It seems like Big Tech is the new Big Tobacco, but preventing social media addiction is much more difficult for families. Unlike seeing a teen smoking cigarettes or smelling it on their clothes, parents don’t know what their kids are watching, or what algorithms are putting in front of them. But there are ways to help lower the risk of harm and things to keep an eye out for.
Some of the best ways that parents can help keep their children safe on social media include:
Set Time Limits
Use the features most devices have that limits how long they can be on social media platforms every day. Since it interferes with sleep, make a rule that they have to stop using apps at least one hour before bed.
Monitor Use
In early adolescence, parents should monitor their children’s use of social media, such as what they post and what they’re seeing. This can’t happen all the time but checking in on what they’re saying and seeing can identify risks and issues.
Parents that allow younger kids to use social media can monitor their use more effectively if it’s a rule that they can’t use it in their bedrooms and must show them their profiles when asked.
There are also apps that allow parents to monitor their child’s social media use. However, this shouldn’t be done in secret; be honest if a parental control app is used, otherwise trust is broken and kids are more likely to find ways to hide what they’re doing and/ or lie.
Limit Connections to Friends
While not easy, especially on certain social media platforms, parents should focus on ensuring their children are only “friends” with people they know. Parents can help protect their kids from social media harm by reviewing their friends list.
Unfortunately, some platforms, such as Snapchat, make it very easy to connect with strangers, and a lot of kids don’t understand why that’s a problem. In the case of Snapchat, content disappears after 24 hours, making it easy for both kids and adult predators to exploit users with naked pictures and videos.
Know the Dangers of Specific Platforms
There are some social media apps that are worse than others or pose greater dangers to minors.
As previously noted, Snapchat is one of the worst for exploitation.
TikTok has loose content guidelines, so kids are more likely to see offensive and inappropriate content. Instagram has been identified as the worst for causing body image issues among teenagers. And on YouTube, kids can find tons of content they shouldn’t be viewing because nothing is screened by the platform before it’s posted.
Talk Openly About Social Media Use
The American Psychological Association recommends that parents openly discuss social media use with their teens. From the harmful effects like body image issues to the dangers of exploitation and grooming, talking about what happens online can help protect kids.
Older kids should be encouraged to set limits for themselves and think about the way they feel during and after being online. This can help them develop crucial self-control skills and become more self-aware of how platforms affect them.
Reinforce that they should never take explicit pictures of themselves or share their photo with strangers. Sextortion is real and alarmingly common online.
Why Social Media Lawsuits Matter
Social media addiction lawsuits claim Meta, Google, and other companies were negligent and failed to warn parents and users of the harmful mental health effects of their platforms. Some lawsuits are based on violations of consumer protection laws. There are even wrongful death cases involving social media sextortion.
While many recent social media lawsuits have resulted in significant compensation, these cases are about far more than money.
Ultimately, advocates for child safety say that platform design changes, like age requirements, age verification, and algorithm changes, are just as important as compensation for plaintiffs. The same goes for implementing ways to limit the ease of which adults can prey on children.
Making the platforms safer is what’s needed to truly address the mental health effects that social media causes minors and help prevent child exploitation.
Lawsuits Seek Social Media Design Changes
In March, a landmark case in New Mexico secured a $375 million verdict against Meta, and that lawsuit entered a second phase in May. New Mexico’s Attorney General is seeking court-ordered changes to how Meta operates.
If successful, the company would have to remove certain features, including autoplay, infinite scroll, and some types of push notifications. The AG claims this will help reduce social media addiction and mental health injuries among children and teens.
The lawsuit is also looking to address widespread online child exploitation by requiring Meta to:
- Allow law enforcement to perform undercover testing
- Implement permanent bans among adult users who take part in or exploit children
- Add warning labels about the risks of grooming and illegal material being distribution
- Limit messaging from adults to children
- End, or at least tighten, end-to-end encryption for minors, allowing private messages to be monitored by the platform’s company or government
Hopefully, design changes to social media platforms are coming so that mental health struggles in children decrease to before the tech boom. Until then, be aware of the dangers and set rules. While there’s no perfect solution for how parents can protect their kids from mental health effects caused by social media use, it’s important to try.
If you’re concerned about your child, try talking to them, or share support resources. They can text 988, call 1-800-662-4357, or go to www.988lifeline.org.
