Will Meta's changes really protect young users?
By Olivia Henry, Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC)
Social media giant Meta has agreed to put new safeguards in place to protect teenagers on their apps following a major trial in the US.
The changes will include default settings such as compulsory time caps, notification restrictions during school, overnight blocks, stopping videos from auto-playing, bans on plastic surgery filters, and hiding likes. The platform will also include new controls for parents.
Earlier this week, the AusSMC spoke to a range of experts about what this means for young people, with many saying the trial represents a positive step towards protecting children online, particularly since these settings will be opt-out, rather than opt-in.
“Research shows that opt-out settings are much more effective than opt-in, and that social comparison on platforms like Instagram has negative effects, particularly around body image,” Dr Lewis Mitchell, Director of the Data Science Centre at Adelaide University, told the AusSMC.
“The question will be how these measures are implemented, and how effective they will be. Unfortunately, we might not get to know the answer. Due to Meta's restrictive policies around data access for researchers, it will be difficult for scientists to independently measure the effects of whatever changes Meta makes," he added.
However, one major criticism of the settlement is that the proposed changes don’t address the addictive nature of Meta's algorithm.
“Time caps, notification curfews and hiding like counts all limit exposure. None of them touches the engine underneath, which still has one job: maximise engagement. It has no understanding of morality and no understanding of safety,” said Professor Marian-Andrei Rizoiu from the University of Technology Sydney.
Professor Rizoiu told the AusSMC the main factor doing the damage is this carefully designed, highly addictive intermittent reward system – similar to the one that makes pokie machines work.
“Our own work points to the second problem the settlement leaves alone,” he added: “A brand new account that looks like it belongs to a teenage boy is served toxic-masculinity content within about half an hour. The boys are not hunting for it. With no history to go on, the recommender falls back on what similar users consume, and that is what it finds.”
While the loss of likes and filters could have a positive effect on young people by reducing the social comparison that occurs on social media, Dr Lisa Harrison from Flinders University pointed out this could also have unintended consequences on personal and professional development.
“Turning off like counts and filters reduces social comparison, and it also removes the feedback young creators use to learn audience building,” she said.
“Many under-16s are active creators rather than passive scrollers, building skills that lead into the creative and communications industries. Design fixes protect them. Media literacy and creator education equip them. Protection without capability is half the job."
It seems there are many improvements to be made, and there is still uncertainty around whether these changes will also be implemented in Australia. But experts seem to agree the move is a positive step towards protecting our young people, with Dr Dana McKay from RMIT University calling the move “a huge step forward in the relationship between users and social media companies.”
“This is the first time we have seen such major changes from a social media company to benefit the wellbeing of their users,” she said.
“It signals a change in the social temperature of the social media debate—big tech can no longer 'move fast and break things' (or people) with impunity.”
Dr McKay added that this is also a signal to the public that social media companies can – and will – make design decisions to improve their experience.
“Perhaps we might all demand more of these companies,” she said.
You can read the full AusSMC Expert Reaction here.
This article originally appeared in Science Deadline, a weekly newsletter from the AusSMC. You are free to republish this story, in full, with appropriate credit.
Contact: Olivia Henry
Phone: +61 8 7120 8666
Email: info@smc.org.au