Meta funded parent and advocacy groups as solutions to social media addiction to foster a culture of teen safety online, countering whistleblower allegations and regulatory pressure over youth mental health harms on its social media platforms, according to Tech Transparency Project (TTP) investigations.
The Tech Transparency Project exposed Meta’s financial links to the National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and curated research, in the midst of legal actions accusing Instagram addicts teens and magnifies body image issues.
Whistleblowers taking steps to break social media addiction, like Frances Haugen and Arturo Bejar testified the company was long aware of its platforms’ risks but resisted any substantial safeguards integration.
To break social media addiction, Meta said it is “taking steps to empower parents and deliver safer, more age-appropriate experiences on the platform.”
Meta did not mention that it is a corporate sponsor of the National PTA, making annual contributions of undisclosed size regarding dangerous social media use for children.
In Meta’s Case, Is Social Media Harmful to Kids?
According to a new investigation by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), this kind of partnership is part of a broader strategy in which Meta funds child advocacy group publishes its own safety research through its Trust, Transparency & Control Labs, and supports academic studies that paint its platforms in a positive light.
Critics argue these tactics are designed to blunt momentum for tougher social media regulations that could impact Meta’s bottom line.
The question of whether social media and teens should be on platforms like Instagram has fueled heated debate in Washington and beyond. Whistleblower Frances Haugen’s reveal of internal solutions to social media addiction research showing Instagram worsened body image issues for one in three teenage girls.
Other whistleblowers, Arturo Bejar and Sarah Wynn-Williams, alleged that Meta ignored repeated calls for stronger protection.
Public health advocates have also criticized Meta’s Messenger Kids app, while social media mental health lawsuit filed by US school districts claim social platforms are designed to addict young users and harm their mental health. Last year, the US surgeon general even called for a warning label on social media, likening it to cigarettes.
In a Senate hearing in January 2024, Zuckerberg acknowledged concerns, apologizing to families who say social media contributed to their children’s suicides or overdoses. Yet, Meta continues to highlight groups it funds, such as the National PTA and ConnectSafely, to bolster its case that safeguards are in place.
Statistics about social media addiction revealed that teens that spend more than three hours on these platforms experience a higher level of anxiety and depression. Matching that with the constant exposure to idealized content – and culture of ‘compare and despair’ – as well as magnified rates of cyberbullying, teens will end up experiencing lower self-esteem and depression symptoms.
Safer Alternatives to Meta Social Media
While legislators debate limiting the social media usage of youth, advocates turn to safer platforms that prioritize privacy and limit addictive design features.
Community-based digital literacy education and parental engagement strategies are also recommended by some child safety experts above a single dependence on Big Tech’s native protections.
Meta, however, has quoted its partnerships for solutions to social media addiction with organizations like Australia’s PROJECT ROCKIT, which helped design a manual for youth safety for its Horizon Worlds metaverse. Such partnerships, funded directly by Meta, though, have been questioned as being in the way of independence.
As pressure builds, the government regulation of social media question at large continues to be, whether tech titans like Meta can police themselves, or tighter legislation has to safeguard children against potential harm on the internet.
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