The recent landmark social media harm case against Meta and Google in the US has brought to light the impact of features such as infinite scroll and autoplay on users, particularly children. As reported by The Guardian, the case has sparked a debate on the responsibility of tech companies in designing their platforms. According to Mark Lanier, the lawyer prosecuting the case, these features are designed to addict users, while the tech companies argue that they provide a safer and healthier experience for young people.
At the heart of the case are features like autoplay videos, infinite scrolling, and notifications that are woven into the fabric of online platforms. Arturo Béjar, a whistleblower who worked in child online safety at Meta until 2021, explains that infinite scroll is designed to provide a constant stream of content, triggering a dopamine hit that keeps users engaged. This mechanic, he says, creates an infinite supply of interesting and rewarding content, making it difficult for users to stop scrolling.
Internal documents surfaced during the trial reveal that Meta employees were concerned about the signs of rising reward tolerance among users. In one email conversation, an employee referred to Instagram as a drug, with a colleague responding, "Lol, I mean, all social media. We're basically pushers." Béjar notes that users are constantly chasing the next thing, even when they find what they are looking for, as the promise of something else catches their attention.
Understanding the Psychology of Social Media
Sonia Livingstone, a professor of social psychology at the London School of Economics, observes that young people scroll through their feeds quickly, making split-second decisions to swipe, watch, or swipe again. This behavior, she says, is driven by the feeling that the next thing could be good, and it's only going to take another second or two. According to Béjar, autoplay videos, now common on platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Instagram, were initially met with resistance from consumers, who found them disruptive.
However, the result was that more people watched more videos, and advertisers were happy, even if users were unhappy. Autoplay, Béjar explains, triggers a reaction that makes humans want to watch enough to understand what's going on. Mark Lanier compared endless scroll and autoplay to getting free tortilla chips at a restaurant and not being able to stop eating them.
The Role of Notifications and Likes
Notifications and likes are other key components of the social media apparatus that keep people, especially children, hooked. Mark Griffith, professor emeritus of behavioral addiction at Nottingham Trent University, notes that winning the competition for likes is a rewarding thing that gives users a little hit of enjoyment. When people enjoy something, their body produces dopamine and adrenaline, leading to the production of pleasure chemicals, which can create a sense of addiction.
However, Griffith distinguishes between addiction to social media and addiction to substances like nicotine or cocaine. For some people, social media can be genuinely addictive, but by his criteria for addiction, very few people would fulfill that. Instead, he describes social media's moreish quality, which can lead to habitual use that affects productivity and relationships without necessarily ruining one's life.
Implications and Responsibilities
Giving evidence in the case, Instagram's chief executive, Adam Mosseri, insisted that social media is not clinically addictive. People can be addicted to social media in the same way that they can be addicted to a good television show, but that's not the same thing, he said. The jury's verdict in the case against Meta and Google will be closely watched, as it could redefine tech companies' responsibilities for their platform design.
The case has significant implications for the tech industry, highlighting the need for a more nuanced understanding of the impact of social media on users. As the debate continues, one thing is clear: the design of social media platforms has a profound impact on user experience, and it is up to tech companies to ensure that their platforms are designed with the well-being of users in mind.
