Social media research highlights design changes that could reduce compulsive use among teens

Recent court verdicts found major platforms accountable for harms to young users, and researchers identify specific design features — such as infinite scroll and notifications — that they say encourage compulsive use and could be changed for minors.

Two recent court verdicts and ongoing research are drawing attention to how social media design affects children and teens. Jurors in California and New Mexico found that major platforms contributed to harms including depression, anxiety and threats to children's safety, and companies have said they will appeal. Scientists have studied patterns of compulsive use and linked certain platform features to mental health and behavioral outcomes. Researchers and public health experts are identifying specific design changes and policy options that could alter how platforms operate for minors. Key findings: - A California jury concluded that Google and Meta were responsible for depression and anxiety in a user who began using social media as a child, and a New Mexico jury found that Meta violated state laws and harmed children’s safety and mental health; both companies say they will appeal. - Research focusing on behaviors of 11- and 12-year-olds found signs described as mirroring addiction symptoms, with about 16% reporting they tried but failed to cut use and about 23% spending a lot of time thinking about apps. - Studies reported links between compulsive social media use in early adolescents and later outcomes including higher rates of depression, attention and behavioral problems, sleep disturbances, increased suicidal behaviors, and experimentation with substances. - Researchers point to platform features that encourage extended or compulsive use — including infinite scroll, personalized feeds, and frequent notifications — and note that simple tools like time limits and disabling notifications are already used by some services. - Experts recommend design and policy changes for minors such as restricting endless feeds and notifications, stronger default privacy for young users, better parental controls, and effective age verification; the Kids Online Safety Act, which includes measures like these, passed the Senate in 2024 and is pending action in the House. Summary: The reporting combines recent legal rulings with scientific studies to show concerns about how platform design may affect young people’s mental health. Companies involved have announced appeals, and proposed policy steps such as the Kids Online Safety Act remain pending; the next legal and legislative outcomes are undetermined at this time.