EXPERT REACTION: Meta and Google lose social media addiction lawsuit in the US

Description

A US court has found Meta and Google negligent for designing social media platforms harmful to young people and ordered them to pay damages. The 20 year old woman who sued the companies, known as Kaley, said she became addicted to Google's YouTube and Meta's Instagram at a young age. Snap (the owners of Snapchat) and TikTok were also originally defendants in the trial, but both companies agreed to a settlement before the trial began. Below, Australian experts comment on the finding.

Subject

Dr Nipa Saha is a Lecturer in Media and Communications at Macquarie University

“This is an issue media and regulators have needed to confront for years, so in many ways this decision feels overdue. What stands out is that if a 20-year-old woman, with relatively advanced cognitive and self-regulation skills, can struggle with delayed gratification and develop addictive patterns of use, it raises serious concerns for younger users. Children and adolescents are far more vulnerable to the attention-grabbing, reward-driven design of social media platforms.

Research suggests that between 5 and 20 per cent of teenagers experience problematic or addictive social media use, while global estimates indicate nearly 14 per cent of children meet criteria for internet addiction. This goes beyond ‘screen time’ – it includes compulsive checking, anxiety when access is restricted, and impacts on mood, relationships and daily functioning. Some parents report extreme behavioural reactions when devices are taken away.

It is also important to note that while Australia has introduced a world-first ban on social media for children under 16, some highly engaging platforms, such as Roblox, sit outside this legislation. These platforms are designed to maximise time spent, with few limits on use. This exposes a broader regulatory gap, leaving many parents without the support needed to manage withdrawal-like behaviours and emotional impacts.”