Social Media Corporate Accountability

Social media corporations have utilized techniques that can expose children and adolescents to risky behaviors, which may include exposure to predators and unwarranted access to inappropriate and harmful material.https://pubadmin.institute/psychology-and-media/media-encourages-risky-behavior-youth Go to reference  In 2021, former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen provided whistleblower testimony that revealed leadership prioritized profit over safety, citing Facebook’s algorithm and platform design decisions encouraged addictive use, amplified the risk of mental health harms, and spread misinformation. Hao, K. (2021, October 5). Frances Haugen says Facebook’s algorithms are dangerous. Here’s why. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved April 30, 2026, from https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/10/05/1036519/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-algorithms/ Go to reference

Despite major tech companies facing active and ongoing lawsuits on the harms caused by social media, they continue to prioritize profit—which depends heavily on engagement, especially adolescent engagement. Unfortunately, existing laws, such as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, protect these corporations from liability. Redesigning platforms to increase safety takes time and can have a negative impact on company growth and profit, which is why corporate leadership continues business as usual.

How Does Exposure to Personal Devices and Social Media Affect Brain Development in Children and Adolescents?

Exposure to personal devices and social media at a young age can interfere with the development of the parts of the brain that control social rewards and influence behavior, cognition, and emotional regulation, which potentially can lead to risky behavior. Instead of prioritizing safety, social media corporations have harnessed what is known about the developing brain and made deliberate design choices to prolong user engagement, including endless scrolls and autoplay, notifications, and algorithms that contribute to risks children and adolescents are experiencing. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2026, January 20). Digital ecosystems, children, and adolescents: Policy statement. Pediatrics, 157(2), e2025075320. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/157/2/e2025075320/206129/Digital-Ecosystems-Children-and-Adolescents-Policy Go to reference

According to the American Psychological Association, the brain’s reward-seeking system American Psychological Association. (2023, August 3). Why young brains are especially vulnerable to social media. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2022/social-media-children-teens Go to reference  becomes highly sensitive to social rewards—such as visibility, attention, and positive feedback from peers—around the age of 10 years old. With many children younger than 8 years old already engaging with personal devices on a regular basis, [1] Fishman, L. (2023, May 12). How social media use affects adolescent brain development. Health Matters – New York‑Presbyterian. Retrieved April 30, 2026, from https://www.nyp.org/healthmatters/how-social-media-use-affects-adolescent-brain-development Go to reference  they are particularly vulnerable to these influences because the regions of the brain responsible for self-control and resisting temptation are not fully developed.

What Could Social Media Companies Do to Protect Children?

Social media corporations could make child-centered design choices. For example, privacy-by-default sets platforms to the highest level of protection, including:

• Requiring all social media accounts to be private unless explicitly set otherwise
• Restricting messaging and direct messaging (DMs) from strangers
• Turning off location access
• Limiting likes and “follow” buttons for children and adolescents without families having to turn them on National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2024). Industry’s role in promoting kids’ online health, safety, and privacy: Recommended practices for industry. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved April 30, 2026, from https://www.ntia.gov/report/2024/kids-online-health-and-safety/online-health-and-safety-for-children-and-youth/taskforce-guidance/recommended-practices-for-industry Go to reference

Corporations could also implement a safety-by-design approach, intentionally building safety features into the platforms instead of addressing changes later or after harm has occurred. Examples of safety designs include:

• The removal of addictive features, like endless scrolling
• Built-in content filters to reduce exposure to harmful content
• Age-appropriate design, such as alerts and permissions tailored for adolescent comprehension

These privacy and safety changes could reduce the risks to children and adolescents when they use their personal devices and access social media. This is where education unions and advocates can step in and have a real impact on compelling corporations to make changes.

• https://pubadmin.institute/psychology-and-media/media-encourages-risky-behavior-youth
• Hao, K. (2021, October 5). Frances Haugen says Facebook’s algorithms are dangerous. Here’s why. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved April 30, 2026, from https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/10/05/1036519/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-algorithms/
• American Academy of Pediatrics. (2026, January 20). Digital ecosystems, children, and adolescents: Policy statement. Pediatrics, 157(2), e2025075320. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/157/2/e2025075320/206129/Digital-Ecosystems-Children-and-Adolescents-Policy
• American Psychological Association. (2023, August 3). Why young brains are especially vulnerable to social media. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2022/social-media-children-teens
• [1] Fishman, L. (2023, May 12). How social media use affects adolescent brain development. Health Matters – New York‑Presbyterian. Retrieved April 30, 2026, from https://www.nyp.org/healthmatters/how-social-media-use-affects-adolescent-brain-development
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2024). Industry’s role in promoting kids’ online health, safety, and privacy: Recommended practices for industry. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved April 30, 2026, from https://www.ntia.gov/report/2024/kids-online-health-and-safety/online-health-and-safety-for-children-and-youth/taskforce-guidance/recommended-practices-for-industry