Recent findings from an internal study at Meta, known as "Project MYST," conducted in collaboration with the University of Chicago, indicate that parental oversight, including measures such as time restrictions and access limitations, has minimal influence on adolescents' compulsive engagement with social media. The research further highlighted that teenagers who encounter stressful life circumstances tend to struggle more with managing their social media consumption effectively.
This information surfaced during the ongoing social media addiction trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court, where the plaintiff, referred to as "KGM" or "Kaley," along with her mother and other participants, is alleging that social media platforms have developed "addictive and hazardous" products that contribute to issues like anxiety, depression, body image concerns, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts among young users.
The lawsuit is part of a series of significant trials this year aimed at holding social media companies accountable for the potential harm inflicted on minors. The outcomes of these legal proceedings might influence how these companies engage with younger audiences and could lead to regulatory actions.
In this case, Kaley has filed against Meta, YouTube, ByteDance (TikTok), and Snap, although the latter two firms reached settlements before the trial commenced.
During the trial, Kaley's attorney, Mark Lanier, referenced Meta's internal study, suggesting that the company was aware of specific harms but chose not to disclose them publicly.
According to Project MYST, which stands for the Meta and Youth Social Emotional Trends survey, the research concluded that factors related to parenting and household dynamics have little correlation with how attentively teens monitor their social media use.
In essence, the study suggests that parental controls and supervision do not significantly alter the likelihood of teens overusing or compulsively engaging with social media. This conclusion was drawn from a survey involving 1,000 teenagers and their parents regarding their social media habits.
Both parents and teens acknowledged this finding, indicating that there is no significant link between parental supervision and the teens' self-reported attentiveness to their social media activities.
If the study's conclusions hold true, it implies that features like built-in parental controls on platforms such as Instagram or time management tools on smartphones may not effectively reduce the tendency for teens to overuse social media, as argued by the plaintiff's lawyer. The lawsuit claims that teens are being exploited by social media products, which feature algorithm-driven feeds designed to encourage prolonged scrolling, unpredictable rewards that manipulate dopamine levels, incessant notifications, and inadequate parental control tools.
During his testimony, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri claimed he was unaware of Project MYST, despite documentation suggesting he had approved its initiation.
"We undertake numerous research projects," Mosseri stated, after admitting he could not recall any specific details about MYST aside from its name.
However, the plaintiff's attorney highlighted this study as a prime example of why social media companies should be held accountable for their alleged negative impacts rather than placing the blame solely on parents. He pointed out that Kaley's mother had made efforts to mitigate her daughter's social media usage, even confiscating her phone at times.
The study also indicated that teens experiencing a higher number of adverse life events--such as having alcoholic parents or facing bullying--reported lower levels of attentiveness to their social media use. This suggests that children dealing with real-life trauma are at a greater risk for addiction, as argued by the lawyer.
On the witness stand, Mosseri appeared to partially concur with this finding, remarking, "There are various reasons this may be the case. One frequent observation is that individuals use Instagram as a means of escaping a more challenging reality." Meta refrains from labeling excessive use as addiction; instead, Mosseri referred to it as "problematic use," describing individuals who spend more time on Instagram than they feel comfortable with.
Meanwhile, Meta's legal representatives emphasized that the study primarily aimed to assess whether teens perceived their social media usage as excessive, rather than determining if they were genuinely addicted. They also sought to shift more responsibility onto parents and the challenges of life as factors contributing to the emotional struggles faced by individuals like Kaley, rather than attributing it solely to social media products.
For instance, Meta's lawyers noted Kaley's background as a child of divorced parents with an abusive father, alongside experiences of bullying at school.
The jury's interpretation of the findings from studies like Project MYST, along with testimonies from both sides, remains to be seen. Mosseri did, however, acknowledge that the results of MYST had not been made public, and no warnings were issued to teens or parents based on the research.
Meta has been approached for commentary.