Meta Pays Billions Over Design That Hooks Teens | Portland Maine News

Meta just agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle claims that its platforms are engineered to addict teens and kids—forcing changes like restricted usage and fewer notifications during school hours and nighttime. But is it really addiction? Experts lean toward “problematic social media use,” which links heavy scrolling to anxiety, depression, and sleep issues—especially in youth. While design features like autoplay and infinite scroll clearly drive compulsive behavior, science stops short of calling it a full-blown addiction or proving direct causation. The real story? It’s complex, individual, and shaped by what you see—and how the app nudges you to keep scrolling. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/04a46916471b19a0