US Parents and Teens React: Meta’s New Social Media Limits—Progress or Just a Start?

Meta, the company behind Instagram, Facebook, and Whatsapp, recently announced new restrictions for teenagers using its platforms. These changes are part of a large settlement with US states, which accused Meta of not doing enough to protect young users from the negative effects of social media. The new rules include a daily two-hour time limit for teens, hiding the number of likes on posts, turning off video autoplay, muting notifications during school hours, and banning extreme make-up filters. Meta also promised to improve age verification and parental controls, and an independent auditor will check that these rules are followed.

Elizabeth Cardner, a mother from Houston, Texas, welcomes these changes but feels they do not go far enough. She has two daughters, Julianna and Paige, who both use social media. Elizabeth says the new rules might help avoid some arguments at home, but she doubts they will solve the bigger problems. She feels stuck because she does not want to ban her daughters from social media and risk them feeling left out, but she also worries about the harm it can cause. Her daughter Paige, who is 14, thinks the new rules will make social media more real and less fake, especially by hiding likes and limiting filters. However, Paige believes these improvements will not last because people will find new ways to change their photos and videos using technology.

Other parents share similar concerns. Andria Rose, who lives near Boston, says she feels powerless to protect her children from social media. She describes Meta's changes as 'fantastic' but believes they do not fully address the problem. Andria admits she is addicted to social media herself and worries about how it affects kids. She compares Meta's settlement payment to 'throwing a couple dollar bills at a problem,' considering how much money the company makes. The lawsuit against Meta was started by 29 states in 2023, claiming the company made its platforms addictive for children and broke laws about collecting kids' personal information. The settlement now includes 48 states, the District of Columbia, and three US territories.

Some parents are also unhappy with Meta's decision to hold back $5 billion of the settlement unless other companies like YouTube and TikTok agree to similar rules. Meta also said it would reduce the daily time limit to one hour if other platforms do the same. Joanie Story, a mother from Long Island, thinks this is 'petty' and that Meta should do more on its own. She supports the new controls because she saw the harm that a lack of rules can cause. Two of her sons were exposed to inappropriate content on a non-Meta platform, and one needed therapy for years. Joanie says it felt almost like abuse.

Mark SooHoo, a father from Chicago, believes that both social media and smartphones are harmful to young people. He is part of a group called Wait Until 8th, which encourages parents to delay giving their children smartphones until the end of eighth grade. Mark says most parents give their kids phones so they do not feel left out, but he thinks it is better for kids to miss out on social media than to be harmed by it. He believes parents should work together to solve this problem, instead of relying only on companies like Meta. As these new rules take effect, many families are waiting to see if they will really make a difference in keeping kids safe online.