Kamal Ghorui
Social media companies are very smart and always come up with new ideas to keep people using their apps. But now, people are starting to push back, especially because these apps can be harmful to kids.
For a long time, it was hard to take action against these companies. They said they were just platforms where people post things, so they shouldn’t be blamed. But recently, something clever changed. Instead of arguing about free speech, some people argued that these apps are like products that can hurt users—just like a faulty toy.
In one important case, people argued that companies like Meta and YouTube designed their apps to be addictive on purpose, especially for kids. A jury agreed with this idea.
In another case, a court said that Meta didn’t do enough to protect children from dangerous people online.
Even though these companies have a lot of money and will likely appeal the decisions, they are worried. Thousands of other cases are coming, including complaints from schools and many US states.
Some people say this could be like what happened to tobacco companies years ago, when it was proven their products were harmful. Evidence shows that social media companies already know some of their features can hurt kids, but they still use them to make more money.
For example:
- The “like” button can make people feel a quick rush, like a reward
- Filters can make kids feel bad about their appearance
- Endless scrolling and autoplay make it hard to stop using the app
Now, because these companies might lose money from lawsuits, they may finally start making safer choices—like slowing down harmful content and making their apps less addictive for kids.
END OF ARTICLE
