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Why Parents Are Suing Social Media

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  1. Parents, school districts, and state governments are taking legal action against social media platforms for causing harm to kids’ mental, physical, and sometimes lethal injury.
  2. Social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube are facing personal injury lawsuits for allegedly knowingly addicting kids to their platforms.
  3. The rates of self-harm and suicide among youth have increased over the last decade, with root causes attributed to factors such as the pandemic, gun violence, climate anxiety, and social media.
  4. Product’s liability claims are being brought against social media companies, applying the legal concept of holding manufacturers responsible for defective products.
  5. Giving kids access to phones can expose them to harmful content and lead to addiction.
  6. Suing social media companies like meta, Google, Snap, and by dance could potentially lead to a reinstatement of the original purpose of platforms like Instagram.
  7. The impact of social media on kids’ lives is not entirely good or bad, but rather complicated and multifaceted.
  8. Social media’s influence on adolescent behavior can lead to increased risk of depression, self-injury, disruptive behavior, aggression, and engagement in health risk behaviors.
  9. The specific types of content and functions on social media platforms, as well as the way kids communicate on social media, have an impact on children’s behavior.
  10. The ease of connecting with people through various digital platforms has led to the characterization of social media as asynchronous, permanent, and visually oriented, creating stress and drama.
  11. The use of social media has led to people’s preoccupation with follower count and outsourced social relationships to algorithms, affecting who they interact with and what content they see.
  12. Social media can activate the brain’s reward system, leading to dopamine and oxytocin responses, which can result in excessive online engagement and problematic social media use.
  13. Kids are experiencing increased stress and anxiety due to constant notifications and overwhelming information on social media.
  14. A kid’s brain starts developing an adult-like craving for social rewards early on, leading them to spend more time with peers and pursue social engagement.
  15. Engaging with friends on social media can help reduce feelings of loneliness, but there are potential risks including addiction, sleep deprivation, and hindered brain development.
  16. Scientific consensus acknowledges both the benefits and risks of social media for adolescents and emphasizes the need for control and education on smart consumption. (Time 0:00:00)

Legal actions against social media platforms for causing harm to kids Parents, school districts, and state governments are taking legal action against social media platforms for causing harm to kids’ mental, physical, and sometimes lethal injury. They accuse companies like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and meta of maximizing profits at the expense of kids’ mental health, engaging in deceptive practices, and contributing to the increase in rates of self-harm and suicide among kids over the last decade. Transcript: Speaker 5 He was so addicted to it that his last moments of his life was about posting on social media. Speaker 3 And parents aren’t alone. Speaker 8 They’re joined by school districts. Kenosha Unified Schools are joining a national lawsuit accusing companies like Facebook and Instagram of maximizing profits at the expense of kids mental health. Speaker 3 And even state governments. Speaker 8 Today we announced along with the Attorney General here in Arkansas that we’re filing three lawsuits, two against TikTok, one against meta because of the deceptive practices that They have engaged in. Speaker 3 On today’s explained, we’re going to explore a new legal argument suggesting that social media algorithms are causing mental, physical and sometimes lethal injury to kids. Speaker 4 You’re listening to Today Explains. Is it Today Explained or Chag Explains? Explained, yeah. Explained, yeah. Speaker 3 As much as you want to believe otherwise the kids are not okay. Rates of self-harm and suicide are up over the last decade and the root causes range from the pandemic to gun violence to climate anxiety to of course the internet. (Time 0:00:11)

Legal action against social media companies for causing harm to kids Multiple lawsuits have been filed against social media giants for their deceptive practices and the alleged role of their algorithms in causing harm to kids, including mental, physical, and potentially lethal injuries. Rates of self-harm and suicide among kids have increased over the past decade, and personal injury lawsuits are targeting companies like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube for knowingly addicting kids to their platforms through psychological principles such as intermittent variable rewards. Transcript: Speaker 8 Today we announced along with the Attorney General here in Arkansas that we’re filing three lawsuits, two against TikTok, one against meta because of the deceptive practices that They have engaged in. Speaker 3 On today’s explained, we’re going to explore a new legal argument suggesting that social media algorithms are causing mental, physical and sometimes lethal injury to kids. Speaker 4 You’re listening to Today Explains. Is it Today Explained or Chag Explains? Explained, yeah. Explained, yeah. Speaker 3 As much as you want to believe otherwise the kids are not okay. Rates of self-harm and suicide are up over the last decade and the root causes range from the pandemic to gun violence to climate anxiety to of course the internet. And now a slew of personal injury lawsuits around the country are going after social media companies. Previn Warren is one of the attorneys leading a lawsuit in California that represents over 150 kids and their families. He says the owners of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube are knowingly getting kids addicted to their platforms. Speaker 2 Part of how it works, it’s very similar to a slot machine. It’s a psychological principle called intermittent variable rewards. (Time 0:00:35)

Las redes sociales tienen el mismo principio adictivo que las máquinas tragamonedas Transcript: Sean Rameswaram Much as we want to believe otherwise, the kids are not okay. Rates of self-harm and suicide are up over the last decade, and the root causes range from the pandemic to gun violence to climate anxiety to, of course, the internet. And now a slew of personal injury lawsuits around the country are going after social media companies. Previn Warren is one of the attorneys leading a lawsuit in California that represents over 150 kids and their families. He says the owners of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube are knowingly getting kids addicted to their platforms. Previn Warren Part of how it works, it’s very similar to a slot machine. It’s a psychological principle called intermittent variable rewards. Basically, when you pull a slot machine, you never know what you’re going to get. Maybe you’re going to hit gold, maybe you’re not. But the frequency with which you get a payoff is indeterminate, right? You don’t actually know when it’s going to hit gold or when it’s not going to hit gold. And so that compels you to keep pulling the lever and playing over and over again in order to sort of get that dopamine hit. Instagram and TikTok work very similarly. They study exactly what you hover over and for how long. They study what your likes and comments are. And when I say they study, I mean the algorithm is really processing that data in real time, right? In a way that gives you a payoff, but on a variable and unpredictable schedule, right? And that actually is the most addictive way to set it up, kind of like the slot machine. You don’t know what you’re going to get and when you’re going to get it, and it keeps you scrolling. But (Time 0:01:09)

adolescentes listo_para_publicar redes_sociales salud_mental

redes_sociales salud_mental adolescentes listo_para_publicar

Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health The rates of self-harm and suicide among youth have increased over the last decade, with root causes attributed to factors such as the pandemic, gun violence, climate anxiety, and social media. Personal injury lawsuits are being filed against social media companies, with allegations that platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube are knowingly getting kids addicted to their platforms using psychological principles such as intermittent variable rewards. These platforms study and analyze user behavior to keep them engaged, similar to how a slot machine compels repeated use for the anticipation of a dopamine hit. Transcript: Speaker 3 As much as you want to believe otherwise the kids are not okay. Rates of self-harm and suicide are up over the last decade and the root causes range from the pandemic to gun violence to climate anxiety to of course the internet. And now a slew of personal injury lawsuits around the country are going after social media companies. Previn Warren is one of the attorneys leading a lawsuit in California that represents over 150 kids and their families. He says the owners of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube are knowingly getting kids addicted to their platforms. Speaker 2 Part of how it works, it’s very similar to a slot machine. It’s a psychological principle called intermittent variable rewards. Basically, when you pull a slot machine, you never know what you’re going to get. Maybe you’re going to hit gold, maybe you’re not. But the frequency with which you get a payoff is indeterminate, right? You don’t actually know when it’s going to hit gold or when it’s not going to hit gold. And so that compels you to keep pulling the lever and playing over and over again in order to sort of get that dopamine hit. Instagram and TikTok work very similarly. They study exactly what you hover over and for how long they study what your likes and comments are. (Time 0:01:09)

Product’s Liability Claim Against Social Media Companies Transcript: Sean Rameswaram Unexpected case. Previn Warren It’s an interesting case in the sense that we’re bringing principally a products liability claim against these companies. So products liability is a legal concept that’s, you know, 50 years old. And the idea is that if you manufacture or design a defective product, you should be held responsible if that product winds up hurting people. And so we’ve applied that concept. We’ve sort of dusted it off and repurposed it in the 21st century and applied it to these social media apps. The algorithms that power these apps are addictive and what we’re really beginning to understand that I don’t think the public has understood up until now is that the fact of addiction Is something that these companies have really been aware of, at least Meta has been aware of it, and their company documents show that. We haven’t gotten too far into the case yet, but what we’re already seeing is disturbing. It confirms what the Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, leaked to the press at the end of 2021. Facebook understands that if they want to continue to grow, they have to find new users. They have to make sure that the next generation is just as engaged with Instagram as the current one. And the way they’ll do that is by making sure that children establish habits before they have good self-regulation. Speaker 1 By hooking kids. By hooking kids. Through (Time 0:03:17)

Product’s Liability Claim Against Social Media Apps A product’s liability claim is being brought against social media companies, applying the legal concept of holding manufacturers responsible for defective products to the addictive algorithms of these apps. Evidence from company documents shows that these companies were aware of the addictive nature of their platforms. The goal is to ensure that the next generation is as engaged with the apps as the current one by targeting children and establishing addictive habits early on. Transcript: Speaker 2 It’s an interesting case in the sense that we’re bringing principally a product’s liability claim against these companies. So, product’s liability is a legal concept that’s 50 years old. And the idea is that if you manufacture or design a defective product, you should be held responsible if that product winds up hurting people. And so, we’ve applied that concept. We’ve sort of dusted it off and repurposed it in the 21st century and applied it to these social media apps. The algorithms that power these apps are addictive and what we’re really beginning to understand that I don’t think the public has understood up until now is that the fact of addiction Is something that these companies have really been aware of. At least meta has been aware of it and their company documents show that. We haven’t gotten too far into the case yet, but what we’re already seeing is disturbing. It confirms what the Facebook whistleblower Francis Hagen leads to the press at the end of 2021. Speaker 9 Facebook understands that if they want to continue to grow, they have to find new users. They have to make sure that the next generation is just as engaged with Instagram as the current one. And the way they’ll do that is by making sure that children establish habits before they have good self-regulation. By hooking kids. By hooking kids. Speaker 2 Through that addictive mechanism, young people wind up in (Time 0:03:17)

Adolescentes se vuelven adictos y desarrollan síndrome de abstinencia a Smartphone y redes sociales Transcript: Previn Warren I think the social media companies really want to point the finger at parents, but they’re completely outgunned. Most parents had no idea what they were in for when they got their kids a phone. Speaker 1 She first got her phone at 11 years old, we were not aware of the applications that kids had access to and that she was constantly seeing photos of other teens, body images. She was getting tips and tricks on how to hide her eating disorder. So I believe that it did cause her to spiral into that addiction. Previn Warren You can give your kid a phone for completely innocuous and reasonable purposes, like you want your kid to stay in touch with you when they’re on the bus route home, right? You don’t realize that you’re giving your kid this license to be exposed to all kinds of nonsense and to be subject to these apps that are demanding their near constant attention. Try to take the phone away, try to disable the apps. And the kids experience classic withdrawal symptoms, just as if they were being taken off of a drug or trying to taper off of nicotine use. They’ll throw things, they’ll hit things, they’ll hit their parents, they’ll be destructive. I mean, I’m really serious about this. I’m not making it up. And so the parents say, you know what, I’d rather just give the kid the phone because that’s even worse, right? And yeah, kids just cannot get themselves to disengage once they’re in this cycle of compulsive use. (Time 0:06:27)

adolescentes listo_para_publicar redes_sociales salud_mental

adolescentes listo_para_publicar redes_sociales salud_mental

Unintended Consequences of Giving Kids Phones Giving kids access to phones can expose them to harmful content and lead to addiction, such as in the case of a young girl who developed an eating disorder. Parents may not realize the negative impact of allowing their kids to have phones, and attempts to restrict usage can result in withdrawal symptoms similar to those of drug addiction. This highlights the need for parents to be aware of the potential dangers of unchecked phone usage among children. Transcript: Speaker 4 When she first got her phone at 11 years old, we were not aware of the applications that kids had access to, and that she was constantly seeing photos of other teens, body images. She was getting tips and tricks on how to hide her eating disorder. So I believe that it did cause her to spiral into that addiction. Speaker 2 You can give your kid a phone for completely innocuous and reasonable purposes like you want your kid to stay in touch with you when they’re on the bus route home, right? You don’t realize that you’re giving your kid this license to be exposed to all kinds of nonsense and to be subject to these apps that are demanding their near constant attention. And we have clients, parents that try to take the phone away, try to disable the apps, and the kids experience classic withdrawal symptoms just as if they were being taken off of a drug Or trying to taper off of nicotine use. They’ll throw things, they’ll hit things, they’ll hit their parents, they’ll be destructive. I mean, I’m really serious about this. I’m not making it up. (Time 0:06:37)

Impact of Lawsuits on Social Media Companies and Product Evolution Suing social media companies like meta, Google, Snap, and by dance could potentially lead to a reinstatement of the original purpose of platforms like Instagram, where content was more centred around positive visuals and shared experiences. The evolution of these platforms into negative and pervasive social phenomena is attributed to changes in algorithms and product features aimed at maximizing user engagement to drive ad revenue. Lawsuits against these companies may aim to address these issues and bring about a positive change in the social media landscape. Transcript: Speaker 3 What does suing all these companies, meta, Google, Snap, by dance, get us? What’s the manifestation of a win here? Speaker 2 Well, there’s a lot of different ways to imagine what that looks like, but, you know, one way to think about it is to wind back the clock when Instagram was first released. It was, you know, for latte art, right? Speaker 3 It was for vacation photos. I miss those days. I miss that version of Instagram. Well, I do too. Speaker 2 And so then you have to ask yourself what changed? Why did it become the really negative pervasive social phenomenon that it became? And the reason is that the algorithm changed, right? The core workings of the product were modified to prioritize photos and videos that keep people on the app as long as possible, right? Your feed’s not organized chronologically. It’s not organized by, you know, what your friends posted. It’s organized in a way that is giving you the stuff that the app has predetermined through its algorithm are going to keep you quote unquote engaged, which means using it, right? Because that’s what drives the ad revenue, and that’s what makes meta money. (Time 0:08:11)

The Complex Impact of Social Media on Kids’ Lives Social media’s impact on kids’ lives is not entirely good or bad, according to Dr. Mitch Princeton, Chief Science Officer of the American Psychological Association. It’s a complicated issue, and while it has negative effects, it also has positive aspects. Dr. Princeton’s research focuses on how kids interact with each other, including online, and he asserts that the influence of social media is multifaceted. Transcript: Speaker 7 I’m David Brown, host of the new Wondery podcast, Flipping the Bird, Elon vs Twitter. Join us as we unravel the fascinating story of Elon Musk’s unexpected bid to buy Twitter and all of the drama that has happened since then. Though still employed at Twitter, soon saw the company and its culture morphed into something they didn’t recognize. He laid off 75% of the Twitter workforce, reinstated exceedingly problematic and dangerous users, and even encouraged his staff to sleep in the office. X employees, Elon’s critics and fellow CEOs were quick to denounce him as an in-over-his-head rich guy. Is Elon all talk or are his unruly methods? Actually the work of a genius. Follow Flipping the Bird, Elon vs Twitter, wherever you get your podcast. Hey Prime members, you can listen to episodes ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. Speaker 9 Look what I just posted. Brunch with these two dumbed-ups. Oh my gosh, so good. Is this good? I said Sunday, Sunday with these idiots. Yeah, that’s good. That’s great. Today explained his back. Preven, the lawyer suing social media companies is gone. Speaker 3 His case hinges upon whether social media is damaging to kids’ mental health, so we wanted to find out what the science says. My name is Dr. Speaker 1 Mitch Princeton. I am the Chief Science Officer of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Princeton studies how kids interact with one another, including online. Speaker 3 So I asked him a simple question. Is social media ruining kids’ lives? Speaker 1 Yeah, if you ask a scientist a simple question, you’re going to get a really complicated answer. I’m afraid. But, you know, social media is not all good. It’s not all bad. (Time 0:12:11)

Impact of Social Media on Kids’ Mental Health The Chief Science Officer of the American Psychological Association states that the impact of social media on kids is not solely good or bad, but rather depends on the individual and their online activities. The influence varies from one child to another, and the crucial age range for these effects is pre-adolescence and adolescence, during which there is a significant increase in the risk for depression in general. Transcript: Speaker 9 Look what I just posted. Brunch with these two dumbed-ups. Oh my gosh, so good. Is this good? I said Sunday, Sunday with these idiots. Yeah, that’s good. That’s great. Today explained his back. Preven, the lawyer suing social media companies is gone. Speaker 3 His case hinges upon whether social media is damaging to kids’ mental health, so we wanted to find out what the science says. My name is Dr. Speaker 1 Mitch Princeton. I am the Chief Science Officer of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Princeton studies how kids interact with one another, including online. Speaker 3 So I asked him a simple question. Is social media ruining kids’ lives? Speaker 1 Yeah, if you ask a scientist a simple question, you’re going to get a really complicated answer. I’m afraid. But, you know, social media is not all good. It’s not all bad. It’s an interaction between who you were before you logged in and what kinds of things you’re doing on there. And the product of those two pieces could lead to vastly different outcomes, you know, from kids to kids. Speaker 3 And when we’re talking about kids vaguely, what age level are we talking about? Speaker 1 So we’re really talking about kind of that pre-adolescence and that adolescent period, mostly. So we know that adolescents around the time that puberty starts maybe a year or two before that, we see huge increases in the risk for depression in general. (Time 0:13:01)

The Risks of Social Media Use for Adolescents Transcript: Speaker 1 Yeah, if you ask a scientist a simple question, you’re going to get a really complicated answer, I’m afraid. But, you know, social media is not all good. It’s not all bad. It’s an interaction between who you were before you logged in and what kinds of things you’re doing on there. And the product of those two pieces could lead to vastly different outcomes, you know, from kid to kid. Sean Rameswaram And when we’re talking about kids vaguely, what age level are we talking about? So we’re really talking about kind of that pre-adolescence and that adolescent period mostly. Speaker 1 So we know that adolescence, around the time that puberty starts, maybe a year or two before that, we see huge increases in the risk for depression in general. We see huge increases in rates of self-injury, like cutting is a really common example. We see increases in more what we call disruptive behavior, acting out, aggression. And usually this is when we see a lot of increase in what we call health risk behaviors, whether it’s risky behaviors to change your body shape or things like substance use. Sean Rameswaram And so these behaviors you’re talking about, how do they connect, if at all, to social media? Do we know? We’re starting to figure that out. Speaker 1 I’ll say in short that it’s not so much how much kids are on their devices or using social media. It really is about the specific kinds of functions or the specific types of content that you can find on some platforms. (Time 0:13:39)

Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Behavior Social media’s influence on adolescent behavior can lead to increased risk of depression, self-injury, disruptive behavior, aggression, and engagement in health risk behaviors. The impact is more related to the specific types of content and functions on social media platforms rather than the amount of time spent on the devices. Transcript: Speaker 1 Yeah, if you ask a scientist a simple question, you’re going to get a really complicated answer. I’m afraid. But, you know, social media is not all good. It’s not all bad. It’s an interaction between who you were before you logged in and what kinds of things you’re doing on there. And the product of those two pieces could lead to vastly different outcomes, you know, from kids to kids. Speaker 3 And when we’re talking about kids vaguely, what age level are we talking about? Speaker 1 So we’re really talking about kind of that pre-adolescence and that adolescent period, mostly. So we know that adolescents around the time that puberty starts maybe a year or two before that, we see huge increases in the risk for depression in general. We see huge increases in rates of self-injury, like cutting is a really common example. We see increases in what we call disruptive behavior, acting out aggression. And usually this is when we see a lot of increase in what we call health risk behaviors, whether it’s risky behaviors to change your body shape or things like substance use. Speaker 3 And so these behaviors you’re talking about, how do they connect, if at all, to social media? Do we know? We’re starting to figure that out. Speaker 1 I’ll say in short that it’s not so much how much kids are on their devices or using social media. It really is about the specific kinds of functions or the specific types of content that you can find on some platforms. (Time 0:13:39)

Impact of Social Media on Children’s Behavior The specific types of content and functions on social media platforms, as well as the way kids communicate predominantly on social media, have an impact on children’s behavior. The concern is about the content that exposes kids to discrimination and hate, teaches them psychologically disordered behavior, and enables them to hide such behavior from their parents. Social media has become the primary medium for the majority of kids’ social interactions, which has changed the way kids communicate and spend their time. Transcript: Speaker 3 And so these behaviors you’re talking about, how do they connect, if at all, to social media? Do we know? We’re starting to figure that out. Speaker 1 I’ll say in short that it’s not so much how much kids are on their devices or using social media. It really is about the specific kinds of functions or the specific types of content that you can find on some platforms. Speaker 6 It depends on what you allow yourself to see, who you follow, who you don’t follow, what’s on your explore page, which you make it. Speaker 1 So the kinds of things that we’re concerned about when we think about the content that kids are experiencing on social media are content that’s exposing them to discrimination and Hate, content that is literally teaching them how to engage in psychologically disordered behavior, like cutting or substance use and how to hide that behavior from their parents. Speaker 3 But you’re talking about phenomena that sort of predates social media. What’s changed since kids have started spending hours on end on TikTok or Instagram? There’s something about kids being able to communicate now. Speaker 1 First of all, predominantly on social media, it doesn’t supplement. It’s really taken over for most kids the majority of their social interactions. (Time 0:14:43)

Impact of Social Media on Children’s Content Exposure and Social Interaction Social media can expose children to harmful content such as discrimination and teaching psychologically disordered behavior. It has become the primary mode of social interaction for most kids, making it easier to connect but also creating stress due to quantifiable feedback and visual nature of interactions. Transcript: Speaker 6 It depends on what you allow yourself to see, who you follow, who you don’t follow, what’s on your explore page, which you make it. Speaker 1 So the kinds of things that we’re concerned about when we think about the content that kids are experiencing on social media are content that’s exposing them to discrimination and Hate, content that is literally teaching them how to engage in psychologically disordered behavior, like cutting or substance use and how to hide that behavior from their parents. Speaker 3 But you’re talking about phenomena that sort of predates social media. What’s changed since kids have started spending hours on end on TikTok or Instagram? There’s something about kids being able to communicate now. Speaker 1 First of all, predominantly on social media, it doesn’t supplement. It’s really taken over for most kids the majority of their social interactions. Speaker 6 It’s a lot easier to just meet up with people wherever you are, as long as you have a way to connect with them. So whether that be texting or Snapchatting or calling them. Speaker 1 But also, scientists have characterized aspects of social media like it’s asynchronous. So you’re interacting with folks not in real time. It’s permanent. It’s very visual. There are ways in which it creates stress because you can quantify how much people like you or like what you said or don’t like you. (Time 0:15:06)

The Concerns of Children on Social Media Transcript: Sean Rameswaram It. Speaker 1 So the kinds of things that we’re concerned about when we think about the content that kids are experiencing on social media are content that’s exposing them to discrimination and Hate, content that is literally teaching them how to engage in psychologically disordered behavior like cutting or substance use and how to hide that behavior from their parents. Sean Rameswaram But you’re talking about phenomena that sort of predates social media. What’s changed since kids have started spending hours on end on TikTok or Instagram? Speaker 1 There’s something about kids being able to communicate now, first of all, predominantly on social media. It doesn’t supplement. It’s really taken over for most kids, the majority of their social interactions. Previn Warren It’s a lot easier to just meet up with people wherever you are, as long as you have a way to connect with them. So whether that be texting or Snapchatting or calling them. Speaker 1 But also, scientists have characterized kind of aspects of social media, like it’s asynchronous. So you’re interacting with folks not in real time. It’s permanent. It’s very visual. There are ways in which it creates stress because you can quantify how much people like you or like what you said or don’t like you. People (Time 0:15:17)

Impact of Social Media on Social Relationships and Mental Health The ease of connecting with people through various digital platforms has led to the characterization of social media as asynchronous, permanent, and visually oriented. This creates stress as people can quantify their likeability and compare themselves to others, leading to unnecessary drama. Furthermore, the role of algorithms and machine learning in shaping social relationships raises concerns about relinquishing control and its impact on teens with developing brains. Transcript: Speaker 6 It’s a lot easier to just meet up with people wherever you are, as long as you have a way to connect with them. So whether that be texting or Snapchatting or calling them. Speaker 1 But also, scientists have characterized aspects of social media like it’s asynchronous. So you’re interacting with folks not in real time. It’s permanent. It’s very visual. There are ways in which it creates stress because you can quantify how much people like you or like what you said or don’t like you. Speaker 8 People that I know actually worry about how many followers they have compared to other people and like if they’re not getting as many messages and it’s just causes so much unnecessary Drama, I would say. Speaker 1 But maybe also particularly important is the work of algorithms and machine learning here. You know, for the whole history of our species and we’re only here because of our ability to be a social species is this is the first time we’ve ever outsourced our social relationships To a computer. The computer now picks who our friends are, who we, whose posts we read and what order. It really guides us in a way that again can be very helpful. But also we’re giving up a lot of control and for teens who have pretty immature developing brains, you know, when they usually get started on this. That’s a question that scientists are really interested in understanding more. (Time 0:16:02)

Impact of Social Media and Algorithms on Social Relationships and Adolescent Brain The use of social media has led to people’s preoccupation with follower count, causing unnecessary drama. The work of algorithms and machine learning has resulted in the outsourcing of social relationships to computers, which affects who we interact with and what content we see. This can be both helpful and concerning, especially for teens whose developing brains may be influenced by these algorithms. Studies have shown that social media activates the brain’s reward system, leading to dopamine and oxytocin responses when receiving affirmation or attention. Transcript: Speaker 8 People that I know actually worry about how many followers they have compared to other people and like if they’re not getting as many messages and it’s just causes so much unnecessary Drama, I would say. Speaker 1 But maybe also particularly important is the work of algorithms and machine learning here. You know, for the whole history of our species and we’re only here because of our ability to be a social species is this is the first time we’ve ever outsourced our social relationships To a computer. The computer now picks who our friends are, who we, whose posts we read and what order. It really guides us in a way that again can be very helpful. But also we’re giving up a lot of control and for teens who have pretty immature developing brains, you know, when they usually get started on this. That’s a question that scientists are really interested in understanding more. Speaker 3 Where you sort of heading in your scientific study of how an algorithm can sort of shape the brain of an adolescent. Speaker 1 Well, one of the things that we’re starting to see in the science is that the area of the brain that’s activated on social media is kind of that area where it gives you a dopamine and an oxytocin Response when you are being agreed with or getting a dose of your brain. Or getting a tension or feeling like you’re being liked. (Time 0:16:31)

Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Brain and Behavior The science shows that social media can activate the brain’s reward system, leading to dopamine and oxytocin responses when receiving agreement, attention, or likes. This can lead to excessive online engagement, described as problematic social media use, which affects sleep, relationships, and academic performance, and may induce withdrawal symptoms. The impact on sleep is particularly crucial as it is essential for the proper growth of the adolescent brain. Transcript: Speaker 3 Where you sort of heading in your scientific study of how an algorithm can sort of shape the brain of an adolescent. Speaker 1 Well, one of the things that we’re starting to see in the science is that the area of the brain that’s activated on social media is kind of that area where it gives you a dopamine and an oxytocin Response when you are being agreed with or getting a dose of your brain. Or getting a tension or feeling like you’re being liked. Speaker 6 I think we’re influencers because some people are age or under age look up to us. When people look up to you feel good about it sometimes. Speaker 1 That’s all fine. It’s just that that’s really close to areas that motivate us to engage in more and more of that behavior. And that can lead to what as scientists we stay away from the word addiction. But we do talk about problematic social media use where kids are spending far more time online than they even want to. Speaker 4 Me and my friends are on this. Our phones a lot at the same time. I actually don’t really know why we do it while we’re together. But we do. Speaker 1 They can’t stop even if they want to some report. And they’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms. So it’s affecting their homework, their relationships, and perhaps most importantly their sleep. The reason why sleep is especially important is because sleep is really needed for the adolescent brains to grow to the size that it’s supposed to be. (Time 0:17:26)

The Science Behind Social Media Addiction Transcript: Speaker 1 Well, one of the things that we’re starting to see in the science is that the area of the brain that’s activated on social media is kind of that area where it gives you a dopamine and an oxytocin Response when you are being agreed with or getting a dose of your brain. Or getting a tension or feeling like you’re being liked. Speaker 6 I think we’re influencers because some people are age or under age look up to us. When people look up to you feel good about it sometimes. Speaker 1 That’s all fine. It’s just that that’s really close to areas that motivate us to engage in more and more of that behavior. And that can lead to what as scientists we stay away from the word addiction. But we do talk about problematic social media use where kids are spending far more time online than they even want to. Speaker 4 Me and my friends are on this. Our phones a lot at the same time. I actually don’t really know why we do it while we’re together. But we do. Speaker 1 They can’t stop even if they want to some report. And they’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms. So it’s affecting their homework, their relationships, and perhaps most importantly their sleep. The reason why sleep is especially important is because sleep is really needed for the adolescent brains to grow to the size that it’s supposed to be. (Time 0:17:35)

Impact of Social Media on Stress and Mental Health in Kids Many kids are experiencing increased stress and anxiety due to the constant notifications and overwhelming information on social media. They fear missing out and worry about the reception of their posts. This stress is interfering with their daily lives and leading to depression. The development of an adult-like brain in children makes them crave social rewards, such as attention, influence, and positive feedback, further fueling their reliance on social media. Transcript: Speaker 6 I stop using Snapchat as of like January. I just found myself getting really anxious about things. Speaker 1 So I decided, you know, I’ll just take a break from social media. We’re starting to hear that a lot of kids are experiencing a remarkable amount of stress from their devices. It notifies them too often. There are too much information that they’re trying to digest all at once. And they’re really concerned about what they’ll miss out on. If they’re not online, and if they are online and they post something, they’re very concerned how that will be received. About 50% of kids are now reporting that they’re experiencing so much stress that it’s interfering with their day. And the more stress they’re experiencing, the more depression they report about a year later. About a year or two before you notice that a kid’s body is changing and growing up, the brain has already started doing its work. And one of the first things that it does is it starts to develop more of an adult-like brain in an area that makes us crave social rewards. That feeling of getting attention or influence or power or, you know, positive feedback from our peers. (Time 0:19:17)

The Impact of Social Rewards on the Adolescent Brain Transcript: Speaker 1 About a year or two before you notice that a kid’s body is changing and growing up, the brain has already started doing its work. And one of the first things that it does is it starts to develop more of an adult-like brain in an area that makes us crave social rewards. That feeling of getting attention or influence or power or, you know, positive feedback from our peers. We don’t know exactly why, but it might be because the brain is kind of preparing kids to be more autonomous. So the brain is kind of encouraging you to want to hang out with your peers a lot more and roll your eyes at your parents, which is what we all see happens when your kid is around 11 or 12. And we don’t just see this in humans. We see this in other mammals as well. There’s that tendency to want to hang out with adolescents. Well, the reason why that’s important is because teens are then around 12, 13 years old. They are very, very much craving this peer interaction. And for, you know, about 60 to 100,000 years, the only way you can get that was by going to school or by going to their house or maybe at some point picking up the phone and calling them. (Time 0:19:59)

Adolescent Brain Development and Social Rewards During the pre-teen years, the brain starts developing an adult-like craving for social rewards, such as attention, influence, power, and positive feedback from peers. This could be the brain’s way of preparing kids to be more independent. As a result, kids around 11 or 12 are encouraged to spend more time with peers and show resistance to parental authority. This behavioral pattern is not exclusive to humans, as it is observed in other mammals as well. The significance of this craving for peer interaction becomes evident during the teenage years, around 12 or 13, when teens strongly pursue social engagement. Historically, this need was fulfilled through physical social interactions at school or home, but in modern times, adolescents can satisfy this urge through digital means. Transcript: Speaker 1 About a year or two before you notice that a kid’s body is changing and growing up, the brain has already started doing its work. And one of the first things that it does is it starts to develop more of an adult-like brain in an area that makes us crave social rewards. That feeling of getting attention or influence or power or, you know, positive feedback from our peers. We don’t know exactly why, but it might be because the brain is kind of preparing kids to be more autonomous. So, you know, the brain is kind of encouraging you to want to hang out with your peers a lot more and roll your eyes at your parents, which is what we all see happens when your kid is around 11 or 12. And we don’t just see this in humans. We see this in other mammals as well. There’s that tendency to want to hang out with adolescents. Well, the reason why that’s important is because teens are then around 12, 13 years old. They are very, very much craving this peer interaction. And for, you know, about 60 to 100,000 years, the only way you can get that was by going to school or by going to their house or maybe at some point picking up the phone and calling them. Now it’s different. Now kids can satisfy that urge. They can scratch that itch. (Time 0:19:59)

Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Brains Adolescent brains are now able to satisfy their craving for social interaction using technology far more than anticipated, with the added element of quantified validation. This presents a unique situation in the history of our species, allowing for unprecedented levels of social connection. Despite potential concerns, there are also positive aspects being discovered. Transcript: Speaker 1 So we’re a little bit trying to figure out what is the effect of taking a kid who is, their brain is built to crave that kind of interaction and now giving them the opportunity to get it far More than we ever expected, even with a quantified tally showing them how successful they are doing it. Speaker 4 I have 316 followers. And then most of my friends have like a thousand or like 600. Speaker 1 This is a little bit of a perfect storm where we’ve got adolescent sprains craving something. And now this brilliant technology that allows them to get it far more than we ever had expected and we’ve ever before been able to in the history of our species. We’re also learning a lot of positive aspects. (Time 0:21:22)

Balancing the Risks and Benefits of Social Media for Adolescents Engaging with friends on social media can help reduce feelings of loneliness and provide a diverse network of friendships for kids. However, there are potential risks including addiction, sleep deprivation, and hindered brain development. Scientific consensus acknowledges both the benefits and risks, emphasizing the need to establish control and educate adolescents about smart consumption of social media. Transcript: Speaker 6 Sometimes when I’m sad, I like to communicate with my friends on social media and that really makes me feel less lonely. I never really feel depressed or anything like that just because there’s always somebody to talk to and always somebody that’s there for you. Speaker 4 That’s kind of a good thing about social media. Speaker 1 Kids also have more diverse friendships online than the friends that they’re able to meet offline or in real life. And of course that’s a great thing if kids are being exposed to more diversity online as well. Speaker 3 You’re painting a complicated picture here. There are clearly positive aspects of kids spending a lot of time on social media. They’re developing friendships. They’re encountering people and things that they would not usually encounter. But then you’re also saying there’s a risk of kids getting addicted. The risk of kids not sleeping enough, not having their brains fully develop. There’s a lot going on here. Is there any scientific consensus on how social media relates to mental health and adolescence? Well, I think we’re seeing both the risks and the benefits. Speaker 1 And we’re going to have to set some controls or some systems in place to make sure that adolescent in biology doesn’t get the better of them. And they’re able to do this in a safe way that optimizes the benefits and minimizes the consequences. Social media is now one of those kinds of behaviors. We should be teaching kids about this in school, help them be smart consumers. (Time 0:22:19)

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