- Instagram boss Adam Mosseri insists the app is not addictive
- Social media apps are on trial for causing mental health problems
- There is ‘problematic use’ in some cases, Mosseri acknowledges
Adam Mosseri, who has been the head of Instagram since 2018, has had some interesting things to say about addiction on the platform. Mosseri was speaking at a high-profile trial in California examining the mental health effects of social media.
Meta’s social platforms and YouTube are currently in the dock. They are accused of designing their apps to be as addictive as possible, leading to compulsive use that drives health issues like body dysmorphia, anxiety and depression.
“It is important to distinguish between clinical addiction and problematic use,” Mosseri said (via the BBC). When it was put to him that the lead plaintiff in the case, known as KGM, had once spent 16 hours on the platform, he said “that sounds like problematic use”.
“I’m sure I’ve said I’ve been addicted to a Netflix show when I got it really late one night, but I don’t think that’s the same as clinical addiction,” Mosseri continued to say, refusing to label the user behavior described in the trial as addictive.
‘Digital Casinos’
While Meta and YouTube are defending themselves, Snap and TikTok have already settled with KGM out of court. The 20-year-old California woman sued the social media platforms in 2023, and opening statements have been heard this week.
KGM’s attorney, Mark Lanier, has argued that these apps and services are essentially “digital casinos” and has highlighted that internal documents from these accused companies have compared their technology to Big Tobacco.
Meta’s defense is that KGM’s mental health problems were primarily caused by other factors in her life, including abuse and problems at home. However, the plaintiff had previously filed over 300 complaints with Instagram about bullying on the platform.
The lawsuit comes as social media companies face increasing scrutiny over the impact their algorithms and features have on users. Late last year, Australia banned under-16s from social media, a move that other countries are also considering.
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