Article body
Meta has announced new restrictions on how teenagers can use its platforms, which include Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Elizabeth Cardner, a mother of two girls in Houston, Texas, sees these new limits as a welcome sign that more people are aware of the potential dangers of social media. However, she believes they probably won't help much in the long term. "It will save a few arguments at home, but it doesn't go far enough," she says.
This week, Meta announced it would set a daily two-hour time limit, hide the number of likes a post receives, remove autoplay on videos, mute push notifications during school hours, and ban extreme make-up filters. The company also announced changes to its age-verification process and parental controls, agreeing to appoint an independent auditor to check the implementation and maintenance of these measures.
Many parents across the US see the restrictions as helpful but remain skeptical. Those who spoke to the BBC described feeling stuck, unable to cut their children off from social media while also feeling they can't protect them from the harms they believe it causes. Cardner's 14-year-old daughter, Paige, believes the restrictions will lead to "more real-life scenarios" and less "fake content" dominating social media. However, she sees these gains as short-lived, stating, "People will find new ways to have fake filters."
The settlement was announced in the middle of a highly-anticipated trial, where Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg was expected to testify. The lawsuit was originally filed in 2023 by 29 US states, alleging that Meta deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive and lied about the risks. The settlement included 48 states, plus the District of Columbia and three US territories.