Meta’s historic settlement and planned changes to its platforms are a good start, but more needs to be done, according to one college professor.
The tech giant has agreed to make significant changes to how teens use its apps, including default time limits, changes to what they can see in their feeds and restrictions on when the apps can be accessed.
Most app access will be blocked from midnight to 6 a.m., and push notifications will be automatically muted during school hours. Users ages 13 to 17 will have a combined two-hour daily limit across both apps, with additional time requiring parental approval.
Teen users will also have the option of a chronological feed instead of Meta’s personalized algorithm. Other changes include hiding like counts and removing cosmetic surgery filters.
Meta must stop using kids’ data for profit: Professor
University of North Carolina psychologist and professor Mitch Prinstein told NewsNation that meaningful reform will come only when tech companies stop using children’s data for profit.
“I think we have enough data now to say that there are some features, some functions built right into the Meta platforms that are not good for kids,” he said. “It’s not good for their ability to control themselves on these platforms. They’re using it way more than even they want to. They feel tied to it because of all those notifications and likes and endless scroll.”
Prinstein, who was scheduled to testify against Meta before the settlement was reached, said excessive screen time is affecting adolescent development.
“Their brains are not developing in adolescence in the way that they really should be,” he said.
Prinstein believes Meta and other major tech companies should also stop targeting advertisements to children.
“We don’t do that in the same way on TV and elsewhere,” he said. “And frankly, I think we need a lot of these changes to be made for everybody. There are plenty of adults who have a hard time getting off those platforms, too. Maybe those could be designed to be safe by default, and only adults can consent, as they understand it, to opt out.”
Settlement won’t solve mental health issues: Professor
As for the size of the settlement, Prinstein said it does not address the broader mental health challenges at the center of the debate.
“Eighteen billion is a lot of money for you and me. It’s not a lot of money for them,” he said. “So it unfortunately does not provide the funds that are needed to really help the mental health system in the ways that perhaps would be necessary across all these states with kids who may have been affected.”
The terms of the agreement apply to 47 states, Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories.
NewsNation’s Anna Kooiman contributed to this report.
