One night in 2020, my attention was stopped while scrolling through Netflix when I saw a highlighted preview of a new documentary called The Social Dilemma. I ended up watching the film and leaving with a new perspective on one of the things I use most in my life, my phone. The film, addressing social media usage among teens, emphasizes a harsh reality, “if you aren’t paying for the product, you are the product”.
The year 2020 took a turn when Covid-19 hit the U.S., causing a nationwide shutdown and stay-at-home order. During this time social media was my main source of entertainment and connection to the outside world, as it was for many. Social media has presented itself as a tool to enhance communication and connection between people and allow for personal expression online.
However, social media isn’t just connecting teens, it’s consuming them.
Social media algorithms have been crafted by tech companies to exploit user attention for profit and vulnerable teens are the perfect target audience. Users must be made aware of the harmful effects of social media overconsumption and policies need to be implemented to protect the teen population that is particularly vulnerable. New York has already started to do this with the SAFE for Kids Act.
Social media has been credited with causing a surge in mental health issues that are particularly prevalent among the younger population. A survey from the Pew Research Center showed about 1 in 4 teens say social media has made them feel overwhelmed by drama, a pressure to post (31%), excluded by friends(31%), and worse about their own lives(27%).
Not only does social media shape our social environment but it intentionally feeds users with content that reflects their own preferences and personal beliefs. This can be used as a harmful tool to enhance political polarization, suppress critical thinking, and paint a skewed reality of the real world. About 40% of teens in a 2024 survey reported that social media platforms hurt their productivity and 45% said they harmed their sleep.
These effects haven’t gone unnoticed by parents and even teens themselves. Overall, 55% of parents report being extremely or very concerned about the mental health of teens today. Even teens are becoming wary of their peers’ usage of social media, with roughly half reporting that sites such as TikTok and Instagram have a negative effect on people their age. However, despite more than one in four teens reporting that they spend too much time on social media and having growing concerns for their peers, more than half say they have not cut back on using smartphones and social media.
So if teens are concerned with how much time they are spending on social media, why aren’t teens cutting back? The answer is algorithms.
Tech companies offering apps that are free of charge still need to make a profit somehow. That somehow is through the user itself. This is done by selling targeted advertisements to users based on what content they spend the most time on. Data is constantly being collected as you scroll through your TikTok for-you page and Instagram reels, creating a digital footprint.
Based on your digital footprint, algorithms are used to optimize user time spent on a platform by carefully selecting what to show you next to keep their audience hooked. It’s like when you’re eating a bag of candy and know you should put it down because it’s bad for your health but the delicious taste keeps you coming back for more.
Policies restricting the use of algorithms on vulnerable youth populations are needed to protect users who can’t protect themselves. The New York SAFE for Kids Act was passed to address the mental health crisis among kids by requiring social media companies to restrict addictive feeds for users under 18. Specifically, the law prohibits social media platforms using mechanisms such as sending notifications to users under 18 from 12:00am to 6:00am without parental consent and having content that follows a categorical order rather than algorithmic one.
Similar efforts have been made in Connecticut by state Attorney General William Tong recommending a bill that also seeks to restrict the use of certain algorithms by social media companies without parental consent. However, there has been scrutiny surrounding these policies by those who believe that children value algorithms and use tools in apps to control the content they see in their feeds. Additionally, concerns have been raised around a lack of research that directly connects social media use and adverse adolescent outcomes. However, this may be due to the relatively recent prevalence of social media use among younger individuals.
Gen Z is the first generation to be born and raised in an environment dominated by technology, AI, and algorithms and we are seeing the effects play out in current time.
Technology will keep advancing, but our protections must advance with it. We need regulation that aligns tech companies’ incentives with public well-being.
Teens cannot be expected to combat systems designed to manipulate them. It’s up to lawmakers, parents, and educators to push for policy and education surrounding algorithm-driven platforms. We must work towards reshaping the digital world to treat young people as more than a mere data point.
Abbie Ford is a junior at Connecticut College majoring in Psychology