Social Media’s Hidden Design Traps | Dayton News

Meta just paid up to $18 billion to settle a lawsuit claiming its apps were engineered to hook teens into compulsive scrolling — now they must overhaul notifications and usage limits, especially during school and sleep hours. While Meta denies wrongdoing, the case sparks a deeper debate: are these platforms addictive? Science shows features like autoplay and infinite scroll are designed to hijack attention — and adding “friction” actually reduces overuse. But experts caution that “addiction” isn’t an official diagnosis; instead, they prefer “problematic social media use,” which links to anxiety, depression, and poor sleep — though not everyone is equally affected. The real takeaway? Design shapes behavior, and for many young users, it’s costing them well-being. 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/d8b5ef19e4ed6aa6