Facebook and Instagram's parent company, Meta, is facing a lawsuit from 33 US states, with more expected to join, alleging that the platforms are harming children's mental health. The lawsuit claims that Meta concealed the ways in which Instagram and Facebook exploit and manipulate teenagers and children, knowingly incorporating addictive features into their software. Research links the use of Meta's platforms to issues like depression, anxiety, insomnia, and interference with school and life, contributing to a youth mental health crisis. Despite knowing the potential harm, Meta continued to use these design decisions and rejected alternative options to mitigate harm. Meta insists that keeping young people safe on its social media platforms is a top priority.
Vocabulary:
• Sued: to initiate a legal action or lawsuit against someone or a company.
• Doomscrolling: the habit of continuously and obsessively scrolling through negative or distressing news or social media content, often leading to increased feelings of anxiety or distress.
• lawsuit: A legal case brought to court.
• expected: something likely to happen in the future.
• Conceal: to hide or keep something secret, making it difficult for others to see or discover.
• Consumers: individuals that buy and use products or services.
• Team up: to collaborate or work together with others as a group or team, usually with a shared goal or objective.
• Take on: to engage in a challenge, task, or responsibility. It can also imply confronting or dealing with a particular situation.
• Reckon: to believe or consider something to be true or likely. It's often used informally to express one's opinion or estimation.