Meta trial highlights social media addiction
Meta Platforms Inc., owner of social media platforms Instagram and Facebook, agreed to end the historic trial suing it for addictive qualities by paying up to $17 billion, according to AP News. They announced adding new features that will keep minors safe.
“ …30% of that amount—about $5.3 billion—will only be released to the states if rivals Youtube and Tiktok meet two conditions: implementing safety features…and paying the same amount, split between the two companies,” researchers said in the PBS article “Meta reaches $17 billion settlement with states.”
People have been concerned that Meta’s social media platforms are too addictive for minors, thus negatively impacting their mental health, according to PBS.
“These adaptive algorithms are designed to maximize screen time, thereby deepening the activation of the brain’s reward centers,” researchers said in an article by National Library of Medicine. “The interplay between altered brain physiology and AI-driven content optimization creates a feedback loop that promotes social media addiction among teenagers. This raises significant ethical concerns regarding privacy and the promotion of personalized content.”
The Meta trial points back to the question about social media addiction and its true effects. The American Psychological Association states that the average teenager spends almost five hours on social media each day.
“[Since] algorithms are tailored to you, it picks up things you like,” senior Carrigan Gurley said. “If you’re looking for wedding ideas, wedding stuff is going to come up. If you’re looking for date ideas, date ideas are going to come up. You find stuff that you can relate to, and that gets you to keep scrolling because it makes you feel good.”
According to an article called “Scroll, Tap, Repeat” on Medium.com, social media can produce dopamine spikes, the “feel good” neurotransmitter, which makes people want to keep scrolling.
“Dopamine, the main chemical involved in addiction, is secreted from certain nerve tracts in the brain when we engage in a rewarding experience,” a reporter said in a Stanford Medicine article. “Upon signing off, the brain is plunged into a dopamine-deficit state as it attempts to adapt to the unnaturally high levels of dopamine social media just released. Which is why social media often feels good while we’re doing it but horrible as soon as we stop.”
This is what makes something an addiction because once someone stops, suddenly their brain is longing for quick input and relief again. Brittanica’s definition of addiction is “a chronic condition characterized by compulsive substance use or behavior that continues despite harmful consequences.”
“There's a lot of hurt, a lot of gossip and a lot of negative that can come from social media, especially hiding behind a screen essentially,” health teacher Mrs. Lucia Singleton said. “Just [be] careful to [honor] the Lord with being who you are in all things [you do].”
Not only is it important to have balance with social media, but also it can be an opportunity to worship the Lord with what you are posting.
“The devil definitely wants to use social media as this addictive thing to spread hatred and bad things, but I think as Christians who have social media, we can use it for the glory of God and use it to spread the gospel,” sophomore Molly Barfield said.
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