The Social Media Trap

How many times have you used social media today? For many teens, watching videos and chatting with friends on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram is a part of daily life.

That was the case for Kaley,* of Chico, California. She started using YouTube when she was 6 and Instagram when she was 9. At first, the apps were fun. She spent hours on them every day. But over time, Kaley says, social media became a drain on her time, attention, and mental health. It affected her sleep and friendships. It contributed to her anxiety, depression, and poor body image.

Even after recognizing the impact social media was having on her life, Kaley says, she struggled to stop using it. In court testimony, she said the apps were so addictive that she couldn’t simply log off. One day, she spent 16 hours on Instagram.

Kaley, who is now 20, sued Meta (the owner of Facebook and Instagram), Google (the owner of YouTube), Snap (the owner of Snapchat), and TikTok in 2023. She argued that the tech giants should be held responsible for causing her mental health issues because they knowingly made their apps addictive for teens.

How many times have you used social media today? For many teens, watching videos is a part of daily life. So is chatting with friends on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

That was the case for Kaley.* She is from Chico, California. She started using YouTube when she was 6. She began using Instagram at 9. At first, the apps were fun. She spent hours on them every day. But she says that over time, things changed. Social media became a drain on her time, attention, and mental health. It affected her sleep and friendships. It contributed to her anxiety, depression, and poor body image.

She eventually recognized the impact social media was having on her life. But she still struggled to stop using it, she says. In court testimony, Kaley said the apps were so addictive that she could not simply log off. One day, she spent 16 hours on Instagram.

Kaley is now 20. She sued Meta (the owner of Facebook and Instagram), Google (the owner of YouTube), Snap (the owner of Snapchat), and TikTok in 2023. She argued that the tech giants should be held responsible for causing her mental health issues. That is because they knowingly made their apps addictive for teens.

This past March, a jury in California agreed. It ruled that Meta must pay Kaley $4.2 million in damages and Google must pay $1.8 million. (TikTok and Snap both settled with Kaley for an undisclosed amount of money before the trial.) Meta and Google have both appealed the decision.

Kaley’s lawsuit is historic. It’s the first time social media companies have been held accountable for harming teens. It’s also being considered a bellwether case, meaning that its verdict could help predict the outcome of thousands of similar lawsuits.

But will it affect how you use social media—and should it?

This past March, a jury in California agreed. It ruled that Meta must pay Kaley $4.2 million in damages. And Google must pay $1.8 million. (TikTok and Snap both settled with Kaley for an undisclosed amount of money before the trial.) Meta and Google have both appealed the decision.

Kaley’s lawsuit is historic. It is the first time social media companies have been held accountable for harming teens. It is also being considered a bellwether case. That means that its verdict could help predict the outcome of thousands of similar lawsuits.

But will it affect how you use social media? And should it?

Nine out of 10 teens use social media at least once a day, according to the Pew Research Center. And even though most platforms require users to be at least 13, a study by Common Sense Media found that almost 40 percent of kids between ages 8 and 12 use social media too.

Experts say once you start using social media apps, it can be hard to stop. “These platforms have been designed to addict you,” explains Catherine Price. She has written books about people’s relationship with technology.

Price and others say the apps use insights from neuroscience to trick users’ brains and manipulate their behavior. In the tech industry, this is sometimes called “brain hacking.”

Nine out of 10 teens use social media at least once a day. That is according to the Pew Research Center. Most platforms require users to be at least 13. But almost 40 percent of kids between ages 8 and 12 use social media too. That is according to a study by Common Sense Media.

Experts say once you start using social media apps, it can be hard to stop. “These platforms have been designed to addict you,” explains Catherine Price. She has written books about people’s relationship with technology. 

Price and others say the apps use insights from neuroscience to trick users’ brains and manipulate their behavior. In the tech industry, this is sometimes called “brain hacking.”

For example, features like infinite scroll and video autoplay take advantage of the “bottomless bowl” illusion. With new content constantly appearing, scrolling becomes like eating from an endless bowl of soup. You never run out, so there is no obvious stopping point.

Other features, such as view counts and likes, play on humans’ natural fear of missing out. They create a sense of urgency around regularly checking the apps for new posts or comments. “If you find yourself constantly wanting to check social media to see what’s going on, that’s a sign that you’ve been brain hacked,” Price says.

The apps also use unpredictable rewards to keep you online. Some content is dull, some is delightful—on purpose. Experts say the joy of finding a fun video amid a bunch of so-so ones triggers your brain to release a feel-good chemical called dopamine. You want that happy feeling again, so you stay on the app.

For example, there are features like infinite scroll and video autoplay. They take advantage of the “bottomless bowl” illusion. There is new content constantly appearing. So scrolling becomes like eating from an endless bowl of soup. You never run out. And there is no obvious stopping point.

There are other features such as view counts and likes. Those play on humans’ natural fear of missing out. They create a sense of urgency around regularly checking the apps for new posts or comments. “If you find yourself constantly wanting to check social media to see what’s going on, that’s a sign that you’ve been brain hacked,” Price says.

The apps also use unpredictable rewards to keep you online. Some content is dull. And some is delightful. That is on purpose. Experts say the joy of finding a fun video amid a bunch of so-so ones triggers your brain to release a feel-good chemical. It is called dopamine. You want that happy feeling again. So you stay on the app.

Researchers have spent years trying to understand whether social media is harmful for teens. While experts don’t agree on every detail, many studies have found strong correlations between heavy social media use and higher rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, sleep problems, and low self-esteem.

One concern is that social media encourages teens to compare themselves with others. People often post filtered photos and highlight the most exciting parts of their lives. That can make it easy to feel like you don’t measure up.

Another issue is cyberbullying. Unlike traditional bullying, harassment on social media can happen around the clock.

Teens who are already struggling with anxiety or depression may be more vulnerable to negative experiences online. Heavy social media users are also more likely to experience negative effects. According to U.S. health officials, kids and teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media have double the risk of mental health problems.

The link is strong enough that in 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a public warning about the dangers of social media for young people. He urged lawmakers to regulate the platforms to protect teens.

Researchers have spent years trying to understand whether social media is harmful for teens. Experts do not agree on every detail. But many studies have found strong correlations between heavy social media use and higher rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, sleep problems, and low self-esteem.

One concern is that social media encourages teens to compare themselves with others. People often post filtered photos and highlight the most exciting parts of their lives. That can make it easy to feel like you do not measure up.

Another issue is cyberbullying. Unlike traditional bullying, harassment on social media can happen around the clock.

Teens who are already struggling with anxiety or depression may be more vulnerable to negative experiences online. Heavy social media users are also more likely to experience negative effects. Kids and teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media have double the risk of mental health problems. That is according to U.S. health officials.

The link is strong enough to warrant attention. In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a public warning about the dangers of social media for young people. He urged lawmakers to regulate the platforms to protect teens.

Kaley and others say technology companies, not just lawmakers, should be responsible for making social media safe. Many other teens and their families have filed lawsuits against social media companies based on similar arguments. And more than 1,400 school districts have sued the companies for targeting students.

In Kaley’s court case against them, Google and Meta pointed out that mental health issues can have many causes, not just social media. “We respectfully disagree with the verdict,” says Ashly Nikkole Davis, a Meta spokesperson. “Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app.”

Kaley and others say lawmakers should not be the only ones making social media safe. Technology companies should be responsible too. Many other teens and their families have filed lawsuits against social media companies based on similar arguments. And more than 1,400 school districts have sued the companies for targeting students.

In Kaley’s court case against them, Google and Meta pointed out that mental health issues can have many causes besides social media. “We respectfully disagree with the verdict,” says Ashly Nikkole Davis. She is a Meta spokesperson. “Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app.”

Still, the companies have stepped up their safety features. YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook recently released upgrades limiting how often teens are shown posts about sensitive topics, like nutrition and anxiety. YouTube is sending teens more obvious reminders to take breaks from their phones. And Meta has started using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect underage accounts on its apps.

Congress is also considering a bill that would help protect teens. In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the KIDS Act, which would direct how social media companies can interact with young people. Among other rules, it would restrict the use of “disappearing messages” for teens, which are often used for cyberbullying. It would also limit addictive design features and require apps to verify users’ ages. As Junior Scholastic went to press, the U.S. Senate was considering the bill.

Teens can protect themselves too, Price says. She suggests being thoughtful about how and when you use social media—and maybe even deleting the apps altogether.

“Be really careful about what you pay attention to,” she says. “Your time and attention are the most valuable resources you have.”

Still, the companies have stepped up their safety features. YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook recently released upgrades limiting how often teens are shown posts about sensitive topics, like nutrition and anxiety. YouTube is sending teens more obvious reminders to take breaks from their phones. And Meta has started using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect underage accounts on its apps.

Congress is also considering a bill that would help protect teens. In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the KIDS Act. It would direct how social media companies can interact with young people. Among other rules, it would restrict the use of “disappearing messages” for teens. Those are often used for cyberbullying. It would also limit addictive design features. And it would require apps to verify users’ ages. As Junior Scholastic went to press, the U.S. Senate was considering the bill.

Teens can protect themselves too, Price says. She suggests being thoughtful about how and when you use social media. And maybe even delete the apps altogether.

“Be really careful about what you pay attention to,” she says. “Your time and attention are the most valuable resources you have.”