Meta Trial for Social Media Youth Addiction

Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, interviewed John D. O’Connor.

There is presently ongoing a trial in federal court in Oakland, California. There are two main sets of charges leveled by four states through their Attorneys General: the Facebook and Instagram platforms encourage compulsive use by youths, without rigorous safeguards to stop underage use. Also, Meta has publicly denied addictive features. Addiction is both a formal medical term and a colloquial term referring to any repeated use or ingestion. A major problem with the suit is that it assumes that adults do not know that their children are using their devices compulsively. Shouldn’t major blame be placed on the adult in the next room and not a company thousands of miles away, who have no knowledge of the habits of any one youth? And should these states, who bear blame themselves for inadequate public health messaging, receive monetary windfalls, only to be spent foolishly? There is a problem here, but is this suit the way to remedy it?