Seattle schools sue social media platforms

How is Instagram similar to pollution and illegal gambling?

It’s also a public nuisance, according to a lawsuit filed last Friday by Seattle’s public school district, which is accusing TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Snapchat of knowingly building and marketing their products to maximize revenue and keep young users engaged.

Having been called to a courtroom more times than Saul Goodman, Big Tech is no stranger to legal battles. Though they’ve historically been protected from liability by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which says platforms cannot be held liable for user generated content.

But the SPS’ case goes after the platforms themselves, arguing social media companies are “[exploiting] the vulnerable brains of youth” by actively recommending harmful content.

🤔 What does the science say?... Like the FB status, it’s… complicated. A 2020 meta-analysis of meta-analyses (aka the holy grail of statistical reviews) found that increased use of digital technology led to a small negative effect on well-being, but a causal link was difficult to pinpoint.

More recently, a UNC study published in JAMA Pediatrics last week found that students reporting habitual social media use – defined as checking more than 15x per day – are becoming “hypersensitive to feedback from their peers,” as demonstrated by a distinct brain development trajectory when compared to children who didn’t use social media frequently.