FAIRFIELD, CT — The hard truth about social media that two-dozen Civics & Law students learned at Fairfield Warde High School on Thursday is that it’s addictive and designed by companies to be that way.
That was the message that Connecticut Attorney General William Tong sought to impart to the seniors and juniors during the discussion. Last year, Tong joined other attorneys general in suing Meta, claiming that the company “knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and its other social media platforms that purposefully addict children and teens.”
“How does Meta, how does Instagram make money?” Tong asked the students. “What to they need to make money? What is key to their business model? Users, eyeballs. The more eyeballs they have for longer, the more money they make.”
Tong said that he and the attorneys general who are suing Meta believe they have proof that the company, and other social media companies, intentionally target people with algorithms, infinate scrolling, haptics and other tricks to keep people engaged on their sites and platforms.
“The developer of infinite scrolling called it ‘behavioral cocaine,'” Tong said. “They do it on purpose, they do it so that you don’t take your eyes off the device [cell phone, tablet, etc.].”
Tong said he filed the lawsuit, because he believes the public, especially teens and children, are being harmed and negatively impacted by the addictive qualities of social media.
“When you see your stars or likes or your followers go up on your social media profiles, that hits those same dopamine receptors — the pleasure senors in the brain — that gambling hits,” said state Rep. Sarah Keitt. “It’s addictive.”
In addition to Keitt, Tong was joined at the discussion by state Reps. Cristin McCarthy Vahey and Jennifer Leeper; state Sen. Tony Hwang; and Schools Superintendent Michael Testani.
The school district is grappling with student anxiety, depression and a lack of social skills among some students, Testani said.
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“Covid accelerated some of that, but it was happening before because of social media,” Testani said. “We’re never going to be able to truly take away for phones, but it’s what they’re doing on the phone, and when, that we need to address.”
Tong said that one thing that legislatures are considering is a ban on algorithms being used on people under the age of 18.
“The minute we do that, we’ll get sued,” Tong said. “But I’m willing to fight that battle.”
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