A Game-Changer: Meta's US Agreement Brings Hope for a Healthier AdolescencePhoto by Jonathan Borba on Pexels
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A Game-Changer: Meta's US Agreement Brings Hope for a Healthier Adolescence

oglobo30 August 2026 at 08:30

Since 2012, when smartphones began to become popular among young people, there has been a significant increase in mental health problems among adolescents, including loss of cognitive and attention skills, violence, bullying, consumerism, anxiety, self-harm, depression, sleep disorders, and body image issues.

Meta, controlling Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, reached an agreement of approximately $18 billion with American justice to end a lawsuit that accused it of deliberately designing addictive features for children and adolescents, such as infinite scrolling, relentless notifications, beauty filters, and like counts.

The agreement represents the acknowledgment that the company knew about the harm caused to young people and yet continued with these practices, lying about them to the public. Meta's business model is pointed out as responsible for addicting an entire generation.

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